


Searching For A Family

by Wolfrider14



Series: Life With A Reaper [2]
Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Capture, F/M, Pregnancy, Reaper Revolution
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-05
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-29 03:39:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 21
Words: 57,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3880849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wolfrider14/pseuds/Wolfrider14
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cal was captured by the Grim Reaper Council and found to be carrying one of the most powerful reaper's children. Christopher Warren has her under lock and key as he waits for her to give birth. She is doing everything she can to maintain her hope that Adrian will find her.</p><p>But Christopher is not making it easy. Cal is forced to deal with unwanted attention from the elder as her pregnancy progresses. The Councilman is determined to sever her bond with her lover, and he will do anything to achieve his goal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It's been almost four months since I was taken from my lover. The Grim Reaper Council had been looking for me for a long time, and managed to track me down by using the unusual energy my twin babies were emitting. After a long discussion, my captors had decided to keep my children and me alive to use for their own benefit. While I was initially grateful, I was beginning to wonder what horrors awaited me once the twins were born. There were times when I would cry over the hopelessness of my situation. 

The elders had put a silvery metal band on my left arm to block my connection with my lover, Adrian, and my weapon partner, Fenrir. Another pair of silver cuffs encircled my wrists prevented me from using any of my powers while they were locked on. Only my jailer had the key to my cuffs, and I never saw it except the time they were put on my arms. The only good things about my cuffs were they were light and loose enough to be comfortable.

I was given a bedroom with a closet full of clothes to accommodate my growing belly, and there was a bathroom attached as well. Everything was colored in white and light gray, and it all had a hotel fill to it. Everywhere I looked just reminded me that I was in a prison. All and all, it was a nice space, but there were no doors for any of the rooms. There wasn't even a door to the room I was locked in, except when I would get a visitor. The problem being, I only got one visitor, and I wished to never see him again.

A tall gray headed reaper by the name Christopher would come to bring me my meals and talk with me everyday. He was one of the elders on the Council, and I was placed in his custody so he could study me. The reaper had never mistreated me and was pleasant company for the most part. The male would poke and prod my belly while he asked questions about how I was feeling, how many times the babies had moved, and other random topics that would come to his mind. 

At first, I wanted nothing to do with Christopher. He was nice and accommodating except when it came to my cuffs. He made sure I had plenty of books, sketch book materials, and other things to occupy my time. I wanted to hate the elder, but he treated me with all of the charm my Adrian possessed. There were times when I would catch myself enjoying the time I spent with the Councilman, and I would shut down as soon as I realized it.

However, as time passed, I noticed the elder watching me with an unreadable, dark look in his eyes. He began to seek out more physical contact with me, and his touches would linger on any bare patch of skin. His duel iris eyes would watch me with an intensity that made me terrified, and I would cringe away from his spidery fingers when they stretched out for me. Ever time I would press further from him, Christopher would become angry and threatened to lash out at me. He hasn't harmed me yet, but I fear it would be sooner rather than later before he did.

Once Christopher would leave, I would rub my growing stomach and talk to my unborn children. I would tell them all that I knew about their father, about how he was looking for us, and about how Adrian wouldn't stop hunting until he found us. I knew deep in my heart that my tiger was searching for me, but I would always remember with a sharp pain in my heart that he was unaware of the twins resting in my belly. 

I would cry myself to sleep those nights dreaming of his excitement when he would see the roundness of my form. I could picture his hands cradling the swell as he felt little punches and kicks, and his eyes would light up with a laugh. Every morning I woke up, I would stretch my arm out to touch my lover, but the only thing I always found was cold sheets. I felt the empty feeling in my heart all over again when this would happen.

I started to look out of the window more and more often. All I could see of the landscape, was a mass of large, fluffy clouds that moved in the wind, but I would strain my eyes trying to catch a glimpse of silver and black. I would sit on the window sill for hours watching the whiteness until the setting sun would paint reds, golds, purples, and any other color on the blank canvases of the clouds.

I was sitting on the window sill in a long, white loose dress with an open book in my hands as I watched the puffs of water and air dance outside. I was twirling a lock of my copper hair around my finger as I absentmindedly watched the clouds change shapes. It had grown to almost my waist by now. I managed to open the window to welcome the fresh breeze, but my mind had wondered to the silver haired mortician as it often did. I hoped he was doing well, and he wasn't running himself ragged searching for me. The sound of a tray clinking pulled me back to the present. 

“My lovely lily! It's time for breakfast!” Christopher walked in with his grin as he set the tray down on one of the nightstands. “I brought you some fresh fruit, porridge with honey, and wheat toast.” I looked out one last time before I shut the book and turned back in the room. I sat down on the bed, resting my back against the headboard with my legs stretched out in front of me. The gray haired reaper set the tray over my legs as soon as I got settled. Looking up at the reaper dressed in the traditional dispatch suit, I nodded my thanks.

No sense in being rude when it came to food.

He had a very attractive meal brought up to me, but as I took a bite, the food lost its appeal. I mechanically ate all that was on my plate to help my babies grow. Once I was done, Christopher set the tray aside to do his daily examination. He set his hands over my belly and closed his eyes. I fought the urge to squirm like I did whenever he used his energy to check on both of the twins. The feeling left me with a desire to scrub every inch of my skin when he would leave.

“You and the babies seem to be doing just fine, darling. Everything is normal for this state in your pregnancy.” His words did keep me calm about the health of my children, but his hands that were now stroking over the bump of my midsection made my anxiety rise. “They are growing very strong, and I can feel some further development in their powers. Isn't it exciting, pet?” One of his hands caught mine and he lifted up to kiss my knuckles.

I gave a nod as I absentmindedly moved further back to dislodge his hands on me. I pulled my hand out of his slowly, but I caught the dark look in his eye before he hid it with a smile. His unwanted affection was growing no matter how hard I tried to show it was unwanted. The elder was worse then the demon, Sebastian, when it came to touching me.

“It is exciting. I think their father will be very pleased when he finds out, don't you?” I asked without thought. I rubbed the place where his hands had caressed my stomach to erase the feeling.

I blinked when I found myself sprawled on the bed, and a burst of pain flared up in my cheek. I sat up covering my cheek as I looked over at the elder with wide eyes. I shrank in on myself when I saw the black rage on the elder’s face, and I shuffled as far away from the enraged man as I could. I dropped the hand on my face to put it protectively over my belly as the reaper seemed to loom over me.

“I've told you to never mention him.” The words were growled out as he struck out to grab one of my ankles to pull me closer to him. The fabric of the dress bunched up around my thighs as I struggled in his harsh grip. The sight of my skin seemed to anger the elder further as I kicked out at the man. “HE isn't here, and he won't find you ANY time soon!” One of his hands found its way in my hair, and pulled me up by the roots so I was eye level with the man. I reached up to hold his wrist to alleviate some of the pain as he looked over me in a thoughtful manner.

“Perhaps I've not been clear on my meaning, darling.” The hand holding my ankle released to cup my chin. I was lowered so my knees were just barely holding my weight. The grip on my copper hair had relaxed a bit, but the threat of his hand was still there, and my fingers still held tight to his wrist. Christopher tilted my chin so I was forced to look at his sneering face as he leaned in to whisper in my ear.

“I wanted to gently ease you into this, but you leave me no choice.” I was suddenly dropped back on the bed. I kneeled on the plush mattress with both hands covering my swollen belly. Christopher quickly sat down and pulled me onto his lap. He grabbed my wrists and held them pinned to my chest with one large hand as he slid his other arm around the back of my waistline to hold me close to his lean form. It was impossible for me to do so much as wiggle in my seat the grip on me was too tight.

“I told you before I could replace my brother in your bond, and it's starting to work. Granted I cannot completely cut a soul bond, but I can make it latch onto a similar energy. I'm sure you can already feel something for me, am I right?” Christopher looked at me expectantly, and as much as I wanted to deny the fact, I couldn't. He was right, and I wanted to wipe the smug smile growing on his lips off his face.

“My brother and I have very similar energy. We were formed close together, and we shared life forces before we were ‘born’. Siblings in the grim reaper realm are very rare. As long as I block the majority of your connection with Theodore, your bond will latch onto anything that is similar to his life force. The further you are from him, the easier it is for me to take his place. I wager that before your twins are born, your soul connection will have fully tethered you to me.” My eyes widened at his last statement, and anger surged in my veins.

“I will never let you replace him.” I hissed at the elder. One of his eyebrows lifted past the rim of his glasses. “I didn't make a bond with you! Or Theodore Warren! My bonded is Adrian Crevan!” That got me a confused look. He grabbed a chunk of my hair to force my head to the side to look at me bond bite again. I tried to pull my hands loose, but his grasp just tightened in a warning. I glared at the reaper out of the corner of my eyes as he studied the side of my neck.

“You are lying. I know about scars left behind by Theodore better then any being alive. Those came from my brother.” The hand in my hair was used as a rein to turn my head to meet his gaze head on. He jerked his head to the side so his scar on the side of his face was exposed to my eyes. “We have left our marks on the other a long time ago…” He allowed his words to drift off as he furrowed his brow in thought.

The cackling that suddenly rang out of the reaper as he threw his head back in his mirth. I narrowed my eyes and managed to pull myself out of his arms. Christopher just kept laughing, and the sound made my heart feel like it was being squeezed. The elder wrapped his arms around his middle as he rolled onto his side, and tears were glistening on his cheeks. I backed away to the other side of the room.

“I can't believe it!~” He gasped out between roars of laughter. “That coward! HAHAHAHAHAH! He really-!” The reaper couldn't say anymore due to the sheer amount of humor he was experiencing. He fought to get in air as he tried to calm down, and he slumped down on the bed. His hair had sprawled around his face making the situation seem very familiar, but this time I wasn't amused. I glared at the man with more venom then from earlier, but he sprang up before I could say any more.

Chuckles were still slipping out, but he seemed almost put together as he grinned up at me. Christopher took one of his hands to slick his hair back out of his face as he let out one last sigh. He then took his glasses off with his free hand to wipe the tears from his face using the sleeve of his jacket. His duel iris eyes gleamed at me as his spectacles were placed back on the bridge of his nose.

“A change of his name will not change who he is, darling. I'm curious about something…” Christopher sat back upright and leaned forward placing his elbows on his knees so his hands could dangle in front of his lap. All trace of humor was erased from his expression, and a serious glint entered his gaze. I was rooted to the spot when he asked his questions. “How much of him do you truly know? Has Theodore told you anything about his past?”

“I know enough about him. I don't need to know more then Adrian is willing to tell me.” The words were spoken softly but without any hesitation on my part, and I was proud of that. I narrowed my eyes at the elder still sitting on my bed. “I don't care about what happened in his past, all that I'm concerned with is who he is in the present.” Christopher tilted his head to the side.

“But you haven't answered my question, lily. Has he spoken about it to you? I would've asked about it if I were you. Perhaps not the whole story, but he must've told you some bits and pieces by now. After all, you are his soul bond.” The elder pushed adamantly. His tone never once altered nor did he move from his spot as he watched me.

I blinked and looked down to the right as I lowered my head. I found myself giving a little shake of my head in response. He made a noise in the back of his throat as he stood. I flinched a bit when he walked over to me. Spidery fingers tipped my chin up so I could look at reaper. His eyes were focused on the bruise that was darkening on my cheek.

“You should think about that. When you want to know, just ask. I'll leave you alone for now, flower.” Christopher stepped back and collected my dishes as I stayed pressed against the wall of my room. When I looked back up, the elder was gone to my relief. I slid down the wall to sit on the floor, and I lifted a had to gently prod at the spot where Christopher hit me. He didn't even apologize for it.

But the elder’s words kept ringing in my head. Why did Adrian never tell me anything?

I wasn't sure how long I sat there lost in thought, but I was brought out of my daze by something tapping on my window. My head jerked up to see nothing, but my eyes narrowed as I cautiously crept closer to the only place where one could see the outside world. I drew back the curtain and peered out, and I caught a flash of blonde hair. I took a step back in surprise as I saw the upside down face of Ronald Knox. A smile grew on my face that was mirrored on the young reaper.

“Hey, Ginger snap! How's it shaking?”


	2. Chapter 2

Ronald gripped the bars on the window, and his body twisted so he was right side up. I got as close to the young reaper as I could. I covered his hand with mine and squeezed it tightly. Ronald's eyes looked over me with relief in his eyes as he let out a tired sigh. While the reaper was a bit relaxed with his dress clothes, he looked practically disheveled. There were small cuts and bruises that looked half healed all over the bare patches of skin I could see.

“Wow! I heard rumors that you were having kids, but to see it! You look well despite the circumstances.” He let out a chuckle as he sagged against the bars. His other arm wiggled through the bars to give me an awkward hug. “I'm so happy to see you. It took me forever to find you. The old crones have hidden you better then Miss Sutcliff’s feminine features.” He gave a shudder and I giggled at his joke.

“I don't care how you found me. Just that you did.” My voice was watery and shaky as I took comfort in seeing my friend. Tears prickled in my eyes and I clutched at whatever part of Ronald's form I could get my hands on. One of his hands came up to rub the back of my head before he pushed my head back to look over me. When he saw the bruise blooming on my cheek, his eyes narrowed into a glare.

“Who did that!?” He gave a whispers shout as he ran his thumb around the edges of the dark skin. The young reaper started to become visually distressed as he looked me over for any other injuries. “The crazy, old man is going to be livid when I tell him this!” He tugged at his hair as he looked closer at my face. I felt my heart quicken in my chest, and the pain on the side of my face told me that my expression matched the feeling.

“You've seen Adrian?!” At his nod, I tightened my hold on his jacket nearly pulling Ronald flush with the bars. “How is he? What happened after I was taken? Is he coming? Does he know where I am?” The blonde haired man covered my mouth with his gloved hand. I blinked as I pulled my head back a bit, but I took the not so subtle hint to be quiet. After a few seconds of us just staring at each other, the reaper pulled his hand back. He rummaged in his pockets as he gave me a tired look.

“I wouldn't call him fine, but he is physically doing well.” The soul collector muttered under his breath a bout something as he continued his search in his pockets. He had to let me go to switch hands as he talked a bit more. “After you were brought here, Mr. Spears had me wait close to the chambers so I could report back to your insane soulmate. I managed to get the general idea of what was going to happen to you. I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to help you, Cal.” Ronald hung his head.

“I knew it would be a lost cause if you tried to help me. There were too many. You would've ended up imprisoned, and unable to help in any way. Ronnie, it's ok, you're helping now. Please tell me how Adrian is doing. I have to know…” I looked up at the young duel haired man, putting every ounce of my hope in my face. He had stilled in whatever he was looking for, and let out a sigh.

He scrubbed his face as best he could with his goggle like glasses on his face. Ronald pulled up on the bars so he could move to sit on the wide outer windowsill. He leaned against the metal and threaded his right hand through the bars. I sat at the opposite end so I could watch my friend. He pulled something out of an inner pocket of his suit jacket, but his hand was in a fist so I couldn't see what the reaper had.

“Before I tell you, he wanted me to give this to you.” Ronald opened his hand to show me a small silver locket. I hesitated for just a second before I I took it out of his hand. Almost at once, I felt the emptiness inside of my heart lessen. I carefully opened the locket to see a long lock of silver. The strands seemed to shimmer in the morning light, and I closed the clasp and held the small piece of my lover over my heart.

“The old man went berserk when you were taken. The small master to the demon we are oh so familiar with told me that he had literally torn the angel he was fighting with apart.” I lifted my head to look at Ronald as he gazed at my new treasure in my hands. “I think they were going to interrogate him on where you being held, but the elders suppressed your bond, and the goof just snapped. Sebastian was actually complaining about how long it took to get all the blood off the floors and walls of the Phantomhive manor.”

I let out a snort at the thought of the black haired demon, but I kept my mouth shut. I set the pendent down on my leg to unfasten my heart choker. After the cuff was placed on my arm, the magic of the charm had been rendered useless. I clipped the locket around my neck, and the feeling of Adrian’s gift nestled just below my collar bone. I curled the ribbon of my choker around the heart and squeezed it gently. I was trying to put anything of my life force in the charm, but I don't think I managed it with the cuffs shackling my powers.

“When Mr. Spears sent me to find the lunatic, I got ambushed almost as soon as I stepped into the human realm. I hate to tell you this, ginger, but your psychopath looked even more insane then the first time I met you guys. He held his blade to my throat, and his eyes were wild. I thought he was going to skewer me and drink my blood before my corpse was cold. I'm still not sure how I convinced him that I had no involvement in your kidnapping, but after a few punches and cuts, he believed me.

“I won't go into details, but your soulmate has gone off the deep end. I've seen reapers that had lost their mates, but I've never witnessed anything like he's going through. The only thing keeping him somewhat functional was when I told him that I had seen you. Once he heard that you were alive, the old man seemed to get a grasp on his sanity, shaky as it is. He needs something that he knows is yours to help keep his mind from completely cracking.” Ronald rubbed the back of his neck as he sagged where he was sitting. I pulled the hand I was holding closer to me and put my choker in it.

“Give him this. It's something I've had since I first met Adrian. It should help…” I closed his fingers around my little charm, and I felt a little lost without it. Ronald’s grateful look let me know that I did the right thing, and I clutched my new necklace to help relieve the feeling. The blonde reaper carefully hid my charm in his suit continued on with his news.

“He's gone around Europe looking for the different dispatch units, and he managed to convince a lot of the reapers to help. If we had known how successful Adrian was, we would've had him go around talking to the other units. He's told everyone about you, and how you are the boss man’s granddaughter. They seem to think that the Great Theodore Warren will overthrow the Council and help you take over the governing of the grim reapers.” Here Ronald rolled his eyes.

“It's almost sickening to see so many reapers groveling at the feet of one man, but with his history, I can see why.” I paused over his words with two trains of thought in my head. The first thought was that Adrian was probably despising all the attention he was getting. My tiger never was one for hero worship or and type of fanfare from his reaping days. The other thought brought to mind the question Craztopher had asked earlier.

“What history?” I didn't realize I had said that out loud until I saw the duel haired color reaper give me an odd look. His expression slowly melted into one of disbelief, and he covered his open mouth with his free hand. His reaction didn't do anything to make me feel better.

“He hasn't told you? All this time, and he hasn't said anything about it?!” Ronald made a chocked sound when I hesitantly shook my head. The young reaper thunked his head on the stone wall he was using as a back rest with a muttered curse. “That idiot… What was he thinking? You can't leave something like that out.” I frowned in confusion, but before I could ask anything, I was questioned.

“Has he told you anything? Anything at all?” The hand holding mine tightened to an almost painful grip, as his double iris eyes bored into mine. I blinked for a second as I thought about it. I sifted through my memory looking at all the clues I had gathered during our time together, and I was ashamed to say that it wasn't much. My lover was very secretive about his life before he “retired”, and he would change the subject whenever I would ask.

After awhile…I just gave up.

“The only thing that I know, was that Adrian was one of the top grim reapers in the dispatch. He is very strong for a reaper, and he never failed to collect the souls he was sent out for. He was here when Grandpa was in power, and after my grandfather was sealed, he left. I know he hates the reaper realm, and he has extensive knowledge in the inner passages. The only other thing is he is the only one to have kept his death scythe when he left, and fought the Council to keep it.” I trailed off when I couldn't remember any more.

Ronald had looked vaguely hopeful when I started, but he let out another groan of…either despair or exasperated annoyance. I wasn't to sure which made me more anxious. He let me go to cover his face with both hands, and he sat there unmoving for a few minutes. I poked him in the leg, but he swatted my hand away when I tried again. The reaper’s other hand grabbed a fistful of blonde hair when he opened his mouth again.

“Ok, you got the gist of everything, but there are some major details that he's left out. It's not my place to tell you, but that's not important.” I reached through the bars to grab at his tie. The soul collector was forced to hunch over his own legs at what had to be an uncomfortable angle. One of his hands shot out to hold on to the bars so he wouldn't fall off his perch.

“It is important! Just hours ago, I learned that Christopher is trying to do everything he can to replace Adrian as my bonded! He found a way to suppress the bond, and nothing I do can overpower the magic of these cuffs! He is the only person I've had contact with in months, and I'm getting confused with him here! That snake has me questioning my Adrian with talk about what he's done before he left!” Frustrated tears streamed down my cheeks blurring the sight of my friend as I ranted further.

“He wants to use Adrian's, OUR, children as pawns! He wants to use me as some kind of brood mare! He knows he can't break a soul bond, but he is convinced that he can manipulate it! And I'm terrified because I think it's WORKING, and I don't want it to! I want to leave! I want Adrian!” At this point I was sobbing, and I couldn't say anything more through my tears. I clutched the suit jacket and tie in my hands as Ronald tried to help me calm down.

He had wrapped an arm around me and was rubbing my hair as he shushed my sobs. It wasn't until I said it out loud that I realized that I was afraid. Christopher has done very few things to me over the time I've been with him to make me hate him. While I want nothing to do with the man, he was the only person I had contact with since I was imprisoned.

“Calm down, ginger. Now that I know where you are, I won't leave you alone. I'll spend every chance I get to come and see you. I'll tell your mad man what's happening, and he come and find you. That insane reaper of yours will not stop until hunting for you even if the Four Realms are burning. You gotta be strong for him.” Ronald spoke with such conviction that I couldn't help but believe him. I tightened my hold on him as I nodded as best I could with my face pressed into the bars.

“I'm going to pass the word along to Mr. Spears. It is taboo to do what he's doing with a soul bond. I can't believe the other elders are allowing this!” The blonde man hissed into my hair. He pulled me back to look straight into my eyes. “We will get you out of here, Cal. I can't do it now, but I swear to you I will not leave you here to suffer.” His hands gently cupped my cheeks to brush my tears away.

Gone was the playful, boyish charm, and in its place was a steely determination that showed me the potential of what would be a powerful soul collector. There was more to Ronald Knox then meets the eye, and I got the feeling that Adrian had picked up on it. I lifted my hands to cover his as I nodded. I got a cocky smirk in response, and he touched his forehead to mine. The gesture gave me a surprising amount of comfort.

The sound of rattling made my blood freeze. Ronald's startled eyes met mine as the sound grew closer. He patted his jacket to make sure my charm was still there as he pulled his arms back on his side of the bars. I glanced over my shoulder to see the door beginning to form in my room, and I made to hurry back over to the bed. A hand grabbed my wrist before I got to far, and I looked back over at my friend.

“Don't forget, Ginger snap. I'll be back.”

“Be careful, Lemon drop.”

The nicknames made both of us smile for a moment. Ronald gave me a wink as he dropped out of sight.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't approve of this behavior in my story, but I needed for the plot. If someone is treating you or someone you know like this, seek help.

I had just made it back to the bed staring out at where my friend had just been when Christopher walked back in the room. He didn't call out his usual greeting, and for that I was thankful. He sat my lunch tray down at the foot of the bed. The elder took a few steps back to lean against the wall with a look of expectation on his face. I lowered my eyes from his lean form to look at the food he brought me.

It was a light lunch that consisted of tomato soup and a salad, but it looked delicious. I sat down and ate in silence. The conversation we had this morning didn't put me in any mood to talk to the reaper currently in my room. Christopher must've picked up on that particular fact. I sat tensely as I ate, but I relished the silence while I could. Once I had cleaned my plate, the elder gathered up the tray, and left without a word.

I blinked at the out of character behavior. His actions made me on edge, and I couldn't relax no matter what I tried. I walked back over to the window to see if Ronald was just hiding or if he actually left to go inform whoever. To my disappointment, the young reaper was gone, and I was left alone with my twins to keep me company. I rubbed my belly as I walked around the room a bit.

A couple of different thumps came from my midsection that had me freeze. I ran my hand over where the sensations happened and was rewarded with two more distinct kicks. I stared down at my stomach in wonder. This was the first time the twins had made any moves that could be felt from the outside, and I sank down on the bed in humbled awe. I held one hand to the swell of my belly, and the other hand clutched the locket with Adrian's silver hair inside. 

A fierce desire for my tiger to be here with me to share in the joys of impending parenthood. I knew it was a bit redundant to keep wishing, but with each new discovery, I couldn't help it. I wanted the mortician to experience this. I curled around my belly and held onto my new charm as I caressed the spots where the twins were moving. I held onto this little bright spot in my life with all my might.

I must've dozed off laying there because the next thing I knew, Christopher was walking back in with another tray in his hands. I sat up, taking a look out the window as I did to see the sky painted in the colors of twilight. I stretched my shoulders a bit as the elder came around to sit the tray on the nightstand. He cleared his throat before I could reach for the meal he brought up to me.

“I would like to apologize for my unseemly behavior this morning, flower. I let my temper get the better of me.” Christopher had knelt at my feet as he gave me an overdue apology. His gray head was bowed so I couldn't see his face, but he sounded sincere enough with his words. I stared hard at the top of his head as I thought. While I would like nothing more then to tell him to stuff it, another side of me did not deem that course of action wise.

“I accept your apology, but I wouldn't forgive you if you lay another hand on my like that again,” I said in a firm voice. The elder’s shoulders sagged a bit in relief, but he stayed put while I ate my dinner. I watched him warily and ate quicker then I normally would. The reaper finally moved when I sat my plate back on the tray. He sat back on his heels to study me in that calculated manner he and his brother shared.

“You have a different necklace on. What happened to that pretty heart you always wore?” I fought the urge to touch the locket with great restraint. Of course he would notice something like that! I tried to appear a bit saddened as I thought up a quick lie.

“It fell out the window. The ribbon had frayed and the charm bounced off my leg when it finally gave way.” He made a noise in the back of his throat that sounded sympathetic as he stretched out a had towards the plain locket, but I quickly covered it. “Please don't touch it. My father gave it to me before he died. He and I are the only people that have ever touched it, and I want to keep it that way.”

The gray haired man blinked a bit when I covered the pendent, and he pinned me a hard look. I bit the inside of my cheek as I prayed to the stars that he believed my lie. It was tense for a few minutes with his hand suspended between us. Christopher sighed as he lowered his hand, and I relaxed my grip on my necklace. A wiry smile grew over his lips as he lifted an eyebrow at me with a chuckle.

“It's a shame about your little heart, but I can understand having something precious like that with your father. I'm sorry to hear that his soul was already collected, but I hope you are not still pained by his passing?” Not wanting to give myself away, I bit my lip as I shook my head a little. It's hard to grieve someone still alive… 

“That's good. Watching the humans has offered me some insight to their views on death, but I still don't fully understand it myself.” A chair materialized behind Christopher, and he rose up to sit on it. He crossed one leg over the other as he got comfortable. “Why do you mourn for those that have passed even if it has been years since they died?” He leaned forward as he waited for my answer.

Not expecting such a question, I was thrown off for a moment. How does one explain the pain of losing a loved one? I blinked several times at the death god sitting in front of me with a look of almost childlike curiosity. I guess an immoral being would have a different view on things as humans do.

“Um…well… I think everyone has a different reason to mourn, but I miss spending time with my father. Humans grow very attached to the people they see as family, and when that person is no longer there, they miss them. You can't talk to that person anymore or see them anymore. After having that person in your life for so long, of course you are going to still hurt over their passing.” I scrunched up my nose as I thought it over.

“Fascinating.” The tone he used made me look up. “Grim reapers don't have that view. Perhaps it is because we are essentially death. None of our race die unless we are killed. Even then we do not mourn for the loss for long. Perhaps that is because their records are stored within the library. I have gone to see several of my former comrades’ records after they have gone into the void.” His voice got softer as he talked, almost like he wasn't aware he was still speaking out loud.

“Anyway, it seems like you have learned to adjust to the absence of your father.” He made the comment sound to easygoing that I bristled in offense. I narrowed my eyes at the elder as he leaned back in his chair, and I couldn't keep all of the ice out of my next words.

“Yes, I have. Humans are capable of adapting so they can survive. My race has dealt with a lot in our brief existence.” Christopher didn't catch my ire within my words, but he did nod in agreement with me. I huffed and shifted on the bed to made myself more comfortable, something that was becoming harder to do as my pregnancy progressed. As the twins got larger, it felt like my skin was getting smaller. Just something else I have to put up with a realized with a small smile.

“I realize there are many differences between our races, and that's one of the reasons why I'm so surprised that Theodore was matched to someone that is part human. My brother was one firm believer that neither of us should mix with humans, yet here you are.” The gray headed elder had tipped his chair back so only the back legs were still on the floor, and the back of the chair was propped up against the wall. He had his arms crossed behind his head as he looked me over again.

“Theodore didn't mind humans, but he thought we were too different to ever really bond with them. After all, we reap their souls. It would be counterproductive to become friends with our assignments. The chaos that sparing one life that was meant to die could be catastrophic.” There was wisdom in that line of thinking, I'll admit, and I agreed with it. After all, just think what would happen to the world if someone like Hitler wasn't reaped when his time came.

“Still, my brother had an unusual…fondness for humans. When he was working in dispatch he would go to the human realm even if he didn't have souls to collect. I never understood his attraction to a mortal race, but I let him do as he pleased even if it was his downfall.” By now the reaper had my full attention, and while he didn't show it, I knew he was aware of my unblinking gaze. He rested his head back along the wall and stared up at the ceiling as he reminisced.

“All reapers go through a phase, lily. They sympathize with humans, and don't want to take the souls of individuals they're fond of when it is their time. For the most part, there has been no significant damage to the balance of things. We are very strict about collecting souls, you see, but Theodore never grew out of his fascination. He was a great worker, and didn't allow his personal feelings interfere with his job. I can now admit that I was jealous of his ability to coax any soul to come him.” Here Christopher let out a sigh as his eyes took a far off look.

I waited patiently for him to continue. It occurred to me that I should stop the elder from telling me more, but this was a side of Adrian that I didn't know. I had always said that his past doesn't matter, and it doesn't, but there was a part of me that was longing to know. I'm sure that was largely do to human curiosity, so I stayed quiet even though a small sliver of guilt was beginning to creep into my mind.

“Theodore was in the human realm when it happened. I'm not sure how long ago it was, but it's been many years. Time doesn't really hold much meaning when you don't age or die, flower. In all honesty I don't think reapers hold time to any importance after their first three hundred years or so unless it involves soul collection.” He let out a chuckle that nearly had me fighting to demand that he stop stalling and get on with it.

“My brother liked to travel the world while he was off the clock, and explore the different cultures of the humans. A boring hobby if you ask me. I think he was in…Rome?...no Greece or was it France?...ah, it was around the Mediterranean area, when he found a nice family. They had a small plot of land and were fairly well off for the era in which they lived in. The father was a farmer with his wife raising their young son and two daughters.” I furrowed my brow, wondering where this was going.

“He never told me what charmed him about this family, but he would often go and watch over them whenever he had any free time. Seeing as those people weren't on the list, I saw no issues with allowing him to observe. However, the youngest daughter discovered him one day, and she went over to talk to him.” The elder lifted his head to look at me directly in the eye. “That he allowed the girl to keep her memory of their meeting was a violation of the rules, but still going to see her was punishable by suspension or exile from the realm.

“He had visited the girl and her family for years before I noticed it started to affect his work. He had bonded with all five of those humans, and spent much time learning about them. Theodore never spoke about what he was, so I assume those simple folk thought he was some sort of guardian spirit. My brother would take the children out and play games with them, and he earned the love of that family.” I felt a chill as I was starting to see where this story was going. 

“I am ashamed to admit that it took quite longer then it should for me to find out what was distracting my brother from doing the job he was so good at, but I followed him one day. I wanted to know why he had become so happy. Theodore had almost completely changed from the reaper I had grown with. I watched my brother walk up to the modest house and knocked on the door. The girl had grown to be an attractive young woman, and she hugged Theodore as soon as she saw him.

“Her name was Tisha, and…she resembled you to be frank. She had long red hair with big blue eyes like you, but her face shape was a bit different and she appeared to be more naïve then you are, my darling. There was a strange purity in her soul that would capture any being and draw them closer. I was quite taken with her myself, but I could see Tisha only had eyes for my brother. 

“The parents were older now, but still not on the death list for any time soon. The son was married and had built another house close to the farmer, and the daughters were helping their parents with the land. I followed Theodore many times trying to understand the reason he was breaking the rules, but in the end, I found my answer. Only…I wished that I never learned the truth.” Christopher lowered his chair to rest on the floor with all four legs.

“Stop it. I told you I didn't need to know about his past. Why are you telling me this?” I glared at the elder as I spoke with a firm tone. My voice didn't reveal the anxiety that I was feeling. I twisted on the bed to look at the reaper more directly. He was looking at me in surprise, and that made me unexpectedly angry. I felt my face contort into a snarl as words just poured out of my mouth.

“I don't want learn about MY soulmate unless it is from him! You have no right to interfere with our relationship! If you claim any blood with Adrian, then you will not speak unless it is wanted! You claim to not be envious of him, but everything you've been doing has proved otherwise! I don't want to hear anymore from you! If you refuse to release me, then get out! Get out now!” My words cracked at the end from the amount of force I was shouting with, and the spot on my cheek was flaring in pain.

Once I had ran out of things to say, my anger suddenly fled. It dawned on me that yelling at an unpredictable reaper was not the wisest course of action. Christopher had yet to move from his spot, and I braced myself for verbal or physical retaliation as fear crawled up my spine. I flinched when the gray haired man let out a tisking sound. Heavy footsteps broke the silence as he walked up to me.

“I shouldn't be surprised. It's obvious that too much information will just anger you, especially after this morning.” A hand ruffled my hair as he muttered. The shock at the gentle touch kept me silent, and Christopher collected his things as he continued. “I'll leave you be for tonight, my dear. We will continue this discussion tomorrow after you've had time to process this.” 

Just before he vanished for the day, he turned his head to look at me over his shoulder. “I'm only telling you this to protect you, lily. Your soulmate is not what he seems, and you need to know before it comes back to haunt you.”


	4. Chapter 4

A.N. If he's a little OOC, I'm sorry, but that's how he needs to be for my story at this point. I have a hard time writing in his POV. He might be a little off his rocker…

Adrian's POV

I paced back and forth in the woods surrounding the little Earl’s property as I waited for the blond reaperling to show up. He spoke about a promising lead on Cal’s location, and I was impatient to learn if he found her. I looked at the large manor on one of my circuits around the trees. Sebastian was following my every move. The demon was nervous having an unstable soul collect so close to his contract holder, but after a few threats, I got my way. 

He should be thankful that I'm not staying in the house….

Rage has been boiling under my skin ever since my kitten was taken from me. I had tried to follow her, but the angel had gotten in my way. My lips curled into a snarl as the memory of seeing her body vanishing with those winged vermin flashed in my mind's eye. My initial reaction was a blur, but I was fairly certain that I had torn apart the angel that I was fighting with at the time.

Once I had finished, I went after Cal’s kidnappers’ path into the forest. The butler and lord followed me, but I paired them no mind as I searched for a trace of where my kitten had been taken. Whoever took her had covered their tracks well, and it took time to find her. I had just found a trace of her through our bond, and three more lower angels had appeared to stop me from rescuing her. It was during this fight that I felt our bond disappear, and the suddenness of that brought me to my knees.

A crushing emptiness had filled my soul, and that almost had me convinced that my kitten, my Cal, had been murdered. No matter how hard I looked for even the smallest glimmer of her pure soul, all I found was empty blackness. I had waited so long to find her again, never thinking I would be given a second chance. Then, when I had given up all hope, there she was. She had literally fallen back in my life.

Now…she's gone again.

Whatever hold I had left on my sanity had slipped. Rage and anguish filled every fiber of my being as I fought off the angels. One got away, but the other two. Well, that night I proved there are worse beings then demons. The black haired butler had taken his master away when he saw how ruthlessly I slaughtered my opponents, but I decided to deal with him later. I was so close to flying into a mass murder spree throughout the Four Realms, starting with the reaper realm, when a familiar feeling washed over me.

Little Ronald Knox had opened a portal not far from where I was standing. The lad looked frazzled as his eyes flickered around. I wasted no time in pinning the lad down with my scythe. I slotted his neck into the curve of the blade as I crouched over his body. The ridiculous red death scythe the boy used was knocked away from his outstretched hand. His eyes grew wide as he tried to press himself as far into the ground as he could. The sight had me cackling.

“Little Ronnie, what are you doing?~” I sang song as I asked him. “Haven't you heard there is a mad man on the loose?~ Oh! Look! A bunny rabbit!” I giggled at him again with a wide grin. The youngling was fighting his panic admiralty I had at admit, but the silver blade of my scythe nicked his throat when he swallowed. His jaw clinched before he opened his mouth to let out a squeak as I pressed a knee over his ribs.

“Oh, little reaperling….they silenced her voice. I can't see her anymore,” I moaned out to the terrified blond. My heartbreak colored my words as I felt tears slide down my cheeks. “My sweet angel is gone. Where did you go, kitten? Why do you hide from me?” I shifted my weapon so Ronald had more room between his larynx and the sharp edge. I caught a flash of pity in the duel iris eyes of my prey, and I found that hilarious. I barked out a wet chuckle that got progressively louder at his panic with my mood swing.

“Hehehehehe! You're concerned about me now, boy?~” The active reaper nodded his head before I could press my blade back to his neck. “Awwww!~ I'm touched! How about we play a bit before I decide if I'm going to end your life?~” Ronald's eyes widened so large that they looked like the orbs would fall out of his head. Another round of giggles bubbled out of my mouth as I leapt to my feet, holding the smaller man by his tie. I wrapped an arm around his shoulders in a hug as I giggled into his ear.

“Hide and kill has always been a favorite of mine. I'll give you a head start and leave my death scythe out of the game for…oh say…ten minutes. Yes! That sounds fair!~” I nodded to myself. “Ok, lad. The goal is for you to hide and avoid me killing you!~ Doesn't that sound like fun?~ hehehe!” I embedded my weapon in a conveniently placed tree as I held Ronald up further from the ground. “You've got until I reach twenty!” With that, I threw him into the forest. 

He crashed through the underbrush with a yelp. The force of my throw had sent him flying a fair distance from where I was standing. I chuckled as I heard the sounds of breaking twigs intermingled with partially bitten off curses. The lad did have an impressive vocabulary. Once a loud crash and a groan rang out from the trees, I began to loudly count for the boy’s benefit.

“She's not dead!” Was the first thing out of his mouth now that he could speak without further damage to his throat. I froze as his words washed over me. I had my scythe back in my hand, and bounded off in the direction I had flung the younger male. As soon as I saw him, I pounced back on Ronald. I straddled over his waist with my hand coming to close around his windpipe. In my other hand, I let the tip of my death scythe rest over his heart. 

Ronald automatically clamped both of his hands over my wrist to pull at my hand, but I just gave a tight squeeze in warning. He stopped resisting, however, he kept his hands tightly holding my wrist. Knowing there was nothing he could do to overpower me, I allowed the lad to have some comfort in believing that he could stop me if I tried to strangle him. I lowered my head so that our noses were just inches apart as I hissed.

“What did you say? No being can cut a bond unless it involves the murder of one of the bond mates. I lost my connection with my Cal. She can't be alive.” Every inch of my body was trembling in suppressed emotion, and I let out a wail of dispair. Hope, anger, disbelief, and skepticism fought for space in my head, making the stability of my mind worse. There was a grin on my face that spoke of pain and danger. Even if Ronald was lying, I would still have a good hunt before I went off in search of more prey. I vaguely hoped the lad was telling the truth….Cal had a soft spot for this one.

The lad looked a bit worse for wear with foliage trapped in his hair and small tears in his clothing from his unexpected trip in the woods. I felt the neck muscles of the blond flex under my fingers as he swallowed. He squirmed a bit at the uncomfortable restriction my hand had on his throat, and I watched him with amusement in my eyes. I cackled when I felt a stiffening in his muscles when he finally noticed my amusement.

“She is alive, sir.” The polite tone was unexpected, like his words, and he rushed to continue before I could do anything further to him. “She was brought in to the Council chambers. Mr. Spears was there, and I got to catch a peak at her. She's unharmed and relatively safe at the moment. The elders want to keep her alive for something, I'm sorry, but I couldn't hear why, sir.” My hand slowly relaxed as he spoke to the point where I was just barley touching his skin. I could feel something drain out of me when I fully understood his words.

“If she's alive, then why can't I feel her presence?” I asked in a rough tone. Just speaking about the lack of connection made the aching emptiness flare back up. I shuddered and rested most of my weight on my scythe that I had pulled away from Ronald's chest. My hand holding the shaft of my dear weapon spasmed around the familiar metal. I tightened my grip on the death scythe to keep from clutching the area above my heart.

“I don't know how he did it, but one of the elders put something on her to suppress the bond. Mr. Spears said that it looked like a slave’s arm cuff, sir.” The younger reaper licked his lips in a nervous habit. Watching his face with narrowed eyes, I let his neck go. The chest under me let out a relieved sigh as I sat up straight, but I didn't move off from where I had him pinned to the ground. He seemed to take this as a good sign, because he began to babble.

“The ginger snap certainly worked the fossils up into a tizzy. When they questioned her, all she did was roll her eyes and looked bored with everything. Mr. Spears said that he's never seen the Council like that before. She put up one Hell of a fight too. Broke an elder’s nose and almost escaped. They had to restrain her once they captured her again.” I felt a smile tug at my mouth as Ronald described her sassiness. 

“I managed to watch the last bit of the meeting after Cal knocked down the doors. I mean broke the hinges and everything! The Great Wolf formed when the elders tried to do something. A lot of us soul collectors, guards, and many more from other departments saw the Wolf for the first time. Word is flying through the ranks about how it. Mr. Spears seems hopeful that more reapers will join with the rebellion now that there's proof of the Boss man’s granddaughter merging with the first Death Weapon.” He gave me a toothy grin.

I felt myself relaxing as he rambled on about the meeting. I listened, but the majority of my attention was basking in the knowledge that my love was alive and safe for the moment. There was a shift inside my mind, and I could feel the rage and anguish slowly decrease in the intensity that had plagued me since I felt the fear that was transmitted from my kitten. Hope began to bloom in my chest as I focused on what the other soul collector was saying.

“-der Warren convinced the Council to entrust Cal in his custody after he-” My breath caught in my throat when that name registered. I dropped my death scythe and harshly grabbed the reaperling by his shoulders. He let out a yelp as I manhandled his body so I was inches from his face again. The flash of fear was back in his eyes, and he went limp in my hold.

Please…no. Not that, anything but that, please.

“Warren. Christopher Warren? They gave her to him?!” Terror flowed through my body at the thought of my angel being in the hands of that monster. I was shaking the lad in my haste, but when he confirmed it, I let him wiggle out from my grasp. The blond had put several paces between us as I stared at the trees. I let out a roar of rage that made the youngling flinch away from me, but I paid him no mind.

Why did those fools leave her with him!? HIM of all reapers!? Did they learn NOTHING from that last incident!? He can't be trusted!?

These questions rattled about in my mind as I kneeled on the forest floor with Ronald watching me like I would attack him at any moment. I could feel my muscles twitching just under my skin as I tried to focus on what I needed to do next. Christopher has my mate in his hands, and is already using her to hurt me. I had little thought of myself, but if Cal finds out, it'll make her suffer. She has too big of a heart in that petite body.

I have to find her! I can't let it happen again!

Ronald fidgeted where he was standing, bringing my waning attention back to his scuffed up form. I looked hard at him, and my wide grin Cal named my “Cheshire” spread on my face. I lifted up one of my hands and beckoned the lad to come closer to me. The blond was smart enough not to make me wait too long before he stood in front of me. I lifted myself off my knees to loom over the younger man.

“Luck is with you, reaperling!~ There is something I need you to do that you can't do if you're dead! Isn't that wonderful?~” While I had good news, Ronald looked less then thrilled. Perhaps it was my tone… “You say my Cal is alive and somewhere in the reapers’ realm? Good. I need you to find her for me.~” I got a wide eyed look full of confusion. I let out a growl before he could open his mouth to ask any unnecessary questions.

“I can't go back to that place yet, boy!” I snapped at him. “Christopher knows every path I would take, and as much as it pains me to do this, I have to wait. Don't give me that look! As crazy as I am right now, I do still have some sense! Someone has to rally the reapers in her place, and I'm the one to do it. I can't very well succeed if I'm locked up now, can I?” I was going against my nature, but for the moment I was thinking clearly.

“Y-yes, sir. I gotcha.” I narrowed my eyes at him, but he was someone that could weasel into places I can't. The blond started to slink out from under my eyes when a thought struck me. I snatched the boy off his feet by the scruff of his neck and held him up. I reached in my pocket, and pulled out a plain silver locket. I caressed the polished surface for a second then held it out for Ronald to take. He did hesitantly.

“Take this with you, and give it to her when you see her.” I let him go, and he stumbled a bit while he tried to find his footing. I crossed my arms over my chest. “I expect to see you in two days if you've found her or not. You are my eyes and ears in that realm for now. Come find me at the Phantomhive estate when you come back.” Once I got a nod, I jerked my head to the side. “Off with you, then.”

I blinked myself out of my memories with a sigh. That was four months ago, and Ronald still hasn't found her yet. He has brought me all sorts of news about instability within the realms that had gotten worse since I left. The demons were getting restless over their owed souls, and the winged vermin were slacking in their duties in making sure the demons weren't contracting to many humans. I ran a hand through my hair.

Ugh…this is a nightmare…

In the meantime, I've recruited many different dispatch units, hunters, deserters, and officers. All that was needed was my feisty love to finally restore the balance of the Four Realms. Zion was probably the only one to knock everyone into shape without involving the really Higher Ups. I snorted at the thought as I threw myself up onto a large tree limb. 

Ronald better get here soon.


	5. Chapter 5

Adrian POV

I had my eyes shut as I meditated in an attempt to keep myself from destroying the forest around me when a surge of energy signaled Ronald's arrival. I shifted my weight on the tree limb I was sitting on rustling the leaves. The blond honed in on the sound, and he had to climb up to join me. I was mentally preparing myself for the bad news as I waited for the lad, but I saw a large grin on his face when he got closer.

I felt my patience flee when he finally got up to me. Before I could even ask, the reaperling opened his fist to show me a familiar purple heart shaped charm. I sat frozen, staring at the heart with the black ribbon coiled around it like a nest. The next thing I knew, I was lunging for the charm. Ronald jerked back as I snatched it from his hands with a few deep scratches on his wrist. He yelped and grumbled when I moved back to my original seat.

I had a random thought that he should get a reward for dealing with me…

I cradled the heart in my hand as I traced the shape of the charm with another one of my fingers. The gem gave off a faint silvery glow that seeped into my skin. There was a wave of relief that helped smooth all the jaggedness that the loss of the bond caused my psyche. My thoughts became clearer the longer I held onto the pendent, and I lifted my head to give Ronald my thanks. 

“That's not the only thing I brought for you, sir. I got some news.” The boy was looking off to the side with a hand rubbing the back of his head. He was holding his lower lip between his teeth as he lowered his arm with a grimace on his face. I felt my hackles rise as I waited, but I allowed the younger being time to gather his thoughts. He already gave me more comfort then I've had in months.

“I did find her. Elder Warren has her hold up in the old observatory tower like some princess from a fairytale. She's being taken care of, but he is the only person she’s had any contact other then me.” He let out a breath that made some of his fringe flitter in the sudden rush of air. “Cal has cuffs on her that suppress her powers and your bond. Neither her or I could get them off. She's told me what that crazed elder is trying to do, and let me tell you…he is definitely more wacky then you are.

“He's trying to manipulate the bond she has with you into making a connection with him. Ginger snap didn't tell me if she knew why, but even I can tell it's not for anything good. Every reaper knows you don't go after another's match.” Ronald muttered that last sentence under his breath, but I heard it anyway. I narrowed my eyes in thought as I pondered the results of such a thing.

“I don't want to say this, but you need to know.” Here he took a deep breath. “Cal told me that she thinks it might be working, and when she tried to tell him off, he slapped her.” Ice flooded my veins, and I was almost out of the tree and on my way to the reaper realm. Ronald tackled me back on the branch, and just about caused both of us to fall out of the tree. He held me down with an impressive amount of strength, but I fought against his hold.

“Let me go! I have to leave!” The instinct to protect my mate reared up. I thrashed pulling an arm loose to grapple with the smaller man. The blond twisted to keep me pinned down as he attempted to wrestle my arm back under his control. He rammed a knee into my sternum, knocking the wind out of me as he finally trapped all of my limbs under his weight. For a small form, he was a heavy little bugger. I snarled at him as I strained to get free.

“I wasn't finished, old man! She's resisting so far, and I was able to give her the locket! There's more! Settle down! She's fine, Warren won't do anything else to her!” I glared at the lad, but I reluctantly stopped resisting. Ronald gave me a warning glare as he pulled back, however, he was ready to lunge at me again if I twitched in the wrong direction. Seeing my unwilling cooperation, he gave a satisfied nod.

“His actions will set Warren back any progress he's made since Cal’s been taken. I'm going to keep visiting her as often as I can. I think it should buy us some time to get her out of there, but I'm no expert on something like this.” He frowned at his lack of knowledge. While his words brought me no comfort, they allowed my rational mind to repress my emotions for the moment. I gently squeezed the charm in my hand.

“I don't see how you could be, lad. This type of knowledge is rare, most of the education you have won't cover this topic. Even I am not completely familiar with it, but I do have a guess on what he's trying to do.” I crossed my arms over my chest, and closed my eyes as I sorted through my thoughts all the while trying to suppress the urge to march into the realm and rescue my kitten. I remember going over some of Christopher’s research a long time ago.

“The subject needs to be isolated except from the reaper that is at the other end of the false bond. The longer the subject goes without the connection, the more vulnerable the soul will be to another, similar energy. Once the emptiness grows to great for the subject to survive, the repressed bond will latch on to a substitute. It all depends on the strength of the real soul bond. The stronger the bond, the more time is required to force a false bond.” There was more, but this was all I could recall.

“Will my presence stall the process any? I'd take you there, but the Council is on high alert ever since they discovered that you are her mate….” He trailed off. I growled at the thought of being separated from my kitten, but Ronald is right. Christopher is cunning, and I can guarantee that every passage is being watched, even the old paths. 

“Yes, and the locket you gave her has some of my hair in it. The different energies will prolong the false bond, but not stop it entirely. We need to get her out,” I said with a hard voice. There was an edge of steel in my words that had the younger man shifting back to put more distance between us. The poor lad had been victim to my radical mood swings, and he's been attacked by me frequently.

My mind hasn't been very clear ever since my connection with my angel was muted. Most of the time, I'm feeling like I could cheerfully commit genocide in the entire population of England. I'm sure the mass amount of unexpected souls that would come flooding into the limbo would alert someone of my displeasure. The only thing stopping me from doing just that is my few bouts of lucidity. Ronald has come to me in both states of mind, and there are times that I'm surprised that I haven't killed him to be honest.

“I think we have some time to plan, sir. Elder Warren wouldn't do anything too extreme while she's in her condition. We can make get together with Mr. Spears and some of the other dispatch managers,” Ronald commented as he pushed his glasses up to rub his eyes as he yawned. I furrowed my brow in confusion when I looked over at the blond. He stilled after his goggle like spectacles slid back down to style on his nose.

“You….didn't know?” He asked in a small voice. At my uncomprehending gaze, he muttered a few curses under his breath. Faint amusement made my lip twitch into a small smile as the blond reaper gave his hair a sharp tug in frustration. “Ugh…Why do I have to be the one…? You have to swear not to kill me for this! I thought you knew!” He lifted both his head and a hand to point at me in accusation. 

I blinked and lifted an eyebrow, but I nodded nonetheless. Watching me for any sign of aggression, the boy lowered his arm as he let out a sigh. He coiled his body like a spring, ready to take off at any second. Ronald’s face twisted up like he had just bitten into a lemon, and a bark of laughter suddenly came out of my mouth. The sound startled both of us, but strangely, it made my companion relax a bit. It was the first normal sound I had made in months…if I did anything “normal”.

“Well, she's pregnant…with twins.” The active soul collector winced as he muttered the words out in a rush.

Huh…that's something I didn't expect, was my last thought before everything went dark. It seems no matter what race you are, impending fatherhood will have that effect on any male. I am ashamed to say to myself that my first reaction wasn't the best, but the second was more appropriate…sorta…maybe. If the circumstances were ANY different, it would be.

Oh dear Lord…I'm trying to reason with myself…

My passing out seemed to both amuse and slightly terrify Ronald. The lad had caught me before I fell out of the tree, and was currently slapping my face to get me to wake back up. Once I was awake, the giddiness came out of nowhere. A goofy grin spread over my lips, and I started to giggle in happiness. I pulled the blond in a hug that had him squawking, but I was too blissfully happy to care.

“Twins?! I’m going to be a daddy!”  
Then I remembered just where Cal was and who with, and my happiness was yanked right out from under my feet. The reaperling must've felt something because he was flailing to get out of the hug I still had him in. He worked his way free with a huff as he made a futile attempt to straight his now wrinkled suit jacket. The smaller man gave me a sidelong glare as he cuffed me upside the head. 

“Was that necessary?” He demanded, and I stared at the foolish youth. He really shouldn't trust my words… I'm insane after all. “Like I said, the old man won't do anything to her for a while. Cal’s safe as she can be for a moment so don't go running off just yet! Man, ginger snap hasn't given me this much of a headache…” I was torn between laughing at him or throttling him, but I settled for returning the slap on the head.

“Boy, I wonder about your intelligence sometimes. No matter what I promise, you should poke a tiger with a stick. Tell me about her!” I growled at the blond without much heat, but the threat was still in my tone. Ronald still didn't look as intimidated as he should have, but he took my warning for what it was worth. The small, dreamy smile that came over his face sent a flare of jealousy through me.

“I didn't get to spend much time with her, but she is absolutely glowing. In the way all pregnant mothers do! Stop glaring at me, old man! I can admire her if I want-Ow!” Ronald covered his head as he glared at me from under his arms. “You know, I could leave right now and tell Mr. Spears to find you another informant. I'm sure Miss Sutcliff would love to see you again.” He was rubbing his head to check for blood from the punch I gave him.

“You're poking the tiger with the stick again, reaperling.” I growled again as I lifted my fist with a glare of my own. The blond ducked down in a more submissive posture, but he still gave me a defiant look. I wrestled the urge to put the upstart in his place before he told me about my mate. I gave him an impatient wave of my hand to prompt him to continue.

“Her hair has grown out just below her rib cage, and it sparkles in the light. She is healthy, and her skin gives off this inner light. For the most part, nothing else has really changed…except her stomach. It's obvious that she has more then one child. They must be moving a lot now. Her hand would drift over her belly every few minutes. The only thing is…she looks so sad. Cal misses you.” He trailed off with a depressed look in his eye.

I kept trying to paint a picture of my lovely with the limited words Ronald gave me, but it wasn't enough. Any image I came up with was inadequate, but the thought of her swelling with child made my heart race. I just knew she would be radiant. I wanted more then anything to be with her at this very moment. I wanted to caress her growing belly as the children within her grew. I wanted to feel the moment when they started to move. I wanted to talk and sing to them so they would know my voice.

My heart ached over the cruelty of being denied those wondrous joys I should be sharing with my angel. Raged flooded my blood making my short nails break the skin of my palms as I clenched my fists. Ronald caught sight of the blood dripping over my fingers, and instantly made himself as nonthreatening as he could. I ignored the lad, and threw myself out of the tree I was reclining against.

I paced on the forest floor while growling under my breath. I took deep breaths to rein in my anger. My hands opened and closed as if wanting to grip the familiar weight of my death scythe. The urge to let loose and destroy everything in the near vicinity was very tempting, but I could feel the rage boiling under my skin getting harder to control. Just as I was getting a handle on it, an image of my bastard of a brother touching Cal swam into my mind.

The roar of fury that came out of my chest echoed off the trees. My blade was in my hand, and I was mindlessly slicing through anything in front of my eyes. I pictured Christopher every time my scythe went through air, wood, or whatever was there. Every time I moved, I caught the flash of silver from the ends of my hair, and I would turn in that direction to attack. There were shouts that I could almost her over the sound of my carving a path in the trees, but it was negligible at this point.

“Undertaker! Stop this!”

“Sir, you need-”

“Reaper, what-”

I caught flashes blue, black, and blond through my haze as more people gathered around me. Words meshed and mingled to transform into the laughter of my once brother. The sound echoed all around me, mocking me about my inability to protect Cal. I wanted to silence it, to smother the heartless being from ever making that sound again as he stood over the lifeless form of my lover.

I felt the dark seed of true hatred take root in my heart as I vowed to end that monster’s life.


	6. Chapter 6

Cal’s POV

“So then, Dad tells me that the neighborhood dog, a basset hound, laid down on her back and stuck her snout up between my uncle’s knees and starts to ‘smoke’ the cigarette with him! Apparently, we had a neighbor that would smoke something to get high, and the dog would get high with him! She had been trained to come whenever the sound of a lighter striking up! Never in my life had I seen a dog with such short legs try to climb a tree!” Ronald was laughing so hard that tears were streaming down his face. 

It was the fifth time he's come to see me, and since the blond started to come around, things have been a bit easier to deal with. A tension was soothed whenever the young reaper came to my window every two or three days. Ronald would try everything he could to get my mind off the happenings around me, and while it was not the most subtle way to do things, I was very appreciative with his efforts.

The presence of my friend was like a ray of sunshine in a dark world, and I could tell a difference in how I acted towards my captor. Christopher wasn't as appealing as he once was, and I've become more resentful with the elder the longer I was forced to wear the cuffs and stay trapped in a tower like some damsel in distress. The last part really chaffed my nerves, but you have to choose your battles sometimes.

“What did your uncle say?” The duel hair colored man managed to ask between his chuckles. One of his arms was threaded through the bars of my window to hold my hand. I kept a white knuckle grip on the appendage every time I was able to touch him, but Ronald never said anything about it. I pursed my lips and touched a finger to my chin in thought before the memory came to me.

“He said, ‘Well…that's one friendly dog.’ My dad was biting his tongue to keep from laughing the whole time!” Both of us slumped against the bars as our laughter rang out. It felt like an eternity since I was able to laugh and relax this much. I wasn't as at ease as I would be with Adrian, but Ronald wasn't a bad substitute in my opinion. Once the two of us recovered, we glances at one another only to burst out into more giggles.

“I wish I could see that! Ah!” The reaper took off his glasses, and I had to relinquish his hand so he could clear the tear splatter off the lenses. My hands twisted the light blue robe that covered my frame as I waited for the comforting grip to return. I leaned against the bars of the window as I took in the young man's appearance.

Ronald came to me scuffed and rough looking. His hair would be ruffled, and his suit would be messier then normal. I could faintly see worn patches on his elbows, knees, shoulders, and the cuffs of his pants and jacket. There were dark circles under his eyes, and there were bruises that would occasionally peek out from under his clothes. Even his glasses are scratched in little areas all over the frame and lenses.

I had asked him once what caused him to look like this, and the story he told me broke my heart. My friend was being used as a messenger for Adrian and several of the units.

While I was trapped inside this place, the silver haired deserter was rounding up various dispatch units. The Council had not been idle this whole time. The blond told me that they have been sending what truly loyal subordinates they had to spy on others. William was doing everything he could to prevent units under suspicion from being taken prisoner by the Council while still trying to avoid suspicion himself!

There was a war brewing and both sides were currently at a standoff. The Council was unsure of how many units were allied with my rogue lover, and that has them very nervous. Adrian has a better idea of the numbers, but with his mind fluctuating from stable to bat-shit crazy, he can't order an attack any time soon. Preferably, everyone wants me free so I can help the former mortician. There's just one problem with that.

Christopher

That elder has been guarding me like a dragon does with his hoard. I could feel his eyes watching me every time he came into my room. The gleam that sparked in them whenever his gaze met with any uncovered skin left me very uncomfortable. I had seen that particular look in my lover's eyes more then once.

He listens for any news on his brother, and has asked the Council to lock down the realm. Right now, the only reapers coming and going are the soul collectors. Ronald has nearly been caught several times snooping around some of the old paths. Every gate had been sealed off, even some of the obscure ones. The blond hasn't found a way for my lover to sneak inside realm again.

The elder was becoming more paranoid as time went on with no further development in his attempt for force a bond with me. He had checked the cuffs locked over my arm and wrists to see if they were not performing their task, but everything was working correctly. Christopher had nearly dislocated my shoulder in a fit after he checked my restraints the last time. He was very apologetic after he regained his composure, but that incident had planted fear in my heart.

When Ronald came to visit me that same night, I had all but begged the blond to get me out of the tower. My friend just hugged me as best he could through the bars as he explained to me in a broken voice that he couldn't. He stayed with me as long as he could before the impending arrival of the Councilman threatened to expose the young reaper. The look on Ronald's face was one of pure guilt, and there was no way I could hold that against the poor man.

“Do you have any more stories about your childhood? From what I've heard so far, we could've been terrors together!” The cheeky grin helped lighten my spirits from the dark mood they had been descending in. I smiled back at my friend as I tapped on my chin in thought. I had been telling stories for awhile now, and most of them weren't as funny or exciting. I wasn't sure which tale to choose from.

“Oh! Have I told you about the time I was convinced that my cousin was a vampire?” I asked between snickers from the fond memory. It was a silly story that came from a childish fantasy from watching too much TV. Ronald’s duel iris eyes sparked in amusement as he bit his lip to keep from gawking at me. However, when he opened his mouth to say something, a very different and cold voice came from behind me.

“No, I don't believe you have.” 

I saw panic and fear on the face of my friend as a cold sensation washed over me. I was rooted to the seat in the windowsill, praying that the voice was just my imagination. I kept my eyes on the blond, and Ronald tensed up with a look of determination in his eyes as he moved into a crouch on his side of the open window. He reached for something out of my vision as footsteps came closer to me.

“Don't stop now. I want to hear the story.” I shivered at the chill behind those words. “Oh! Were you not expecting me? I'm so sorry for intruding on your quality time with your young friend, lily. How could I be so thoughtless? Although…this does explain quite a bit.” The growl settled in my bones as he talked out loud. The elder never gave me a chance to answer before his hand clamped down on my arm.

Ronald sprang into action when the gray headed reaper dragged me off my perch. The lawnmower that was his death scythe made short work of the bars, and he rushed into the room. Christopher roughly threw me down on the floor to move out of the path of the spinning blades. The blond landed in front of me with his weapon firmly between his person and the elder reaper.

I crawled back to press myself against the wall to get as far from as I could if a fight broke out between the two reapers. The way the younger reaper’s shoulders were set didn't instill confidence that he could win this fight, but I knew he would do everything he could to protect me from the stoic elder still standing on the opposite side of the room with a raised eyebrow. Christopher crossed his arms as he took in the younger male in the room.

“Ronald Knox. Junior Dispatch Officer under the management of one William T. Spears. You aren’t even in your second century.” The elder noted as he let out an exasperated sigh. His duel iris eyes roved over the smaller form of my friend. “I really shouldn't be surprised. My brother was always the charismatic one. He could ensnare just about any one, especially young, untrained reapers.” The gray haired reaper muttered to himself as he shook his head.

Ronald shifted on his feet as he waited for the other reaper to make a move. His hands held onto his death scythe in a tight grip. He did everything he could to block me from view with his lean form. When Christopher lifted his head upend slowly uncrossed his arms, the younger male shuffled closer to me to get into a better stance to defend me. I tried to ignore the slight tremors that his hands made.

“Boy, what makes you think you can challenge me?” Christopher took a step forward, and Ronald backed up a bit more until the cloth of his pants brushed against my arm. There was a twitch of the blond’s right hand that showed his suppression of his urge to look back at me over his shoulder. I pulled my knees up and wrapped my hands around them as best I could with my belly being as large as it was. The older reaper gave a gravelly chuckle as I watched through him come closer.

“You are still wet behind the ears, boy. At best you'd only be a nuisance to me. Come away from the girl, and I might be lenient with your punishment.” His words came out in a dark purr as he prowled back and forth. I clutched at my knees, bunching the fabric of the robe I was wearing. The presence he exuded was making me tremble behind the blond. The elder’s words were taking a more honeyed tone.

“This is not your fight, young one. I can see that you know it, so why put yourself in harms way to defend someone that is not your mate? That girl doesn't belong to you in any way. She is mated to my brother, but not for much longer.” Here his voice began to fluctuate towards a sharper edge. The yo-yo of his moods left me more fearful for my friend and myself as the gray haired man began to gesture with his speech.

“Theodore always had everything handed to him. Ever since we were created.” He hissed, and his eyes took on a menacing light. “First it was the job, then it was fame that came with his fighting skills, the admiration when he singlehandedly fought off a hoard of demons when the Gates of Limbo were breached!” His glowing eyes found me through Ronald's legs, and the rage grew within him. I could tell something inside him was unhinged, and whatever it was just got worse with the blond’s interference with his plans.

“Then he finds that Tisha. Attempts to leave the reaper life and start a family with her…” I felt my heart stutter in my chest when I heard those words. The shock of it had me clawing at my heart as emptiness settled where a small seed of hope had been. Christopher started up had forced me back to the now. “Not only does he escaped with his death scythe after that incident, but he continues to find happiness!”

The wild light that glinted in his eyes before had consumed the rest of his irises, like nothing I had ever seen before. Two sickly green orbs flashed dangerously as they fixated on me. The elder never removed his gaze from me as he paced back and forth. The duel hair colored reaper did everything he could to disrupt the elder’s line of sight. A sudden snarl from the larger male made both of us jump.

“Just when I think the matter with that girl is settled, YOU show up!” A finger stabbed the air in my direction making me startle. “He had faded into obscurity! He was gone! I was finally out from under his shadow!” The light coming from the window and candles in the room was becoming dimmer as Christopher got louder and more aggressive. The air was getting colder, and I curled further into myself.

“Then you show up, and everything I've worked for is slipping out from between my fingers. Even in exile he is still ruining everything! He’s poisoning the minds of the younger generation against the the very people that have held this realm together after the Master was banished. The stability of the Four Realms will always be in danger as long as he is still breathing!” The elder's powers had robbed all warmth from the room, and the shadows had covered every inch of space.

Ronald and I were watching the crazed man in disbelief. Christopher sounded very sure of everything he was saying. The calm and rational tone he carried, while saturated in anger, was more unnerving then if he was carrying on like a lunatic. I reached out to fist my hand in the cloth of Ronald's pant leg as a sudden calm came over the elder. He stood as straight as a rail in his tracks, and he slowly turned on his heel to face the two of us. The elder's shadow stretched out from its place by his feet to cover the younger reaper and myself in a freezing blanket of malice.

“Theodore will suffer for what's he's done...”


	7. Chapter 7

Cal’s POV

Christopher lashed out unexpectedly with a large blur of black that I never noticed before. Ronald made a surprised sound as he brought up his lawnmower to block whatever was coming for his head. I flinched at the loud clanging that shook the frame of the blond standing in front of me. The younger reaper was blocking my view, but I caught glimpses of a long weapon that was as black as onyx.

Christopher pushed harder making his opponent buckle under the added pressure. Ronald fell to one knee, but shifted his weapon so the dark blade went sliding off. A kick from the blond made the elder leap back from the two of us. The cramped space hampered the freedom and usage of the death scythes, and I briefly wondered if the room will hold up in a duel between two reapers. However, my attention was captured by the massive blade the older man held in his hands.

My lover's death scythe incorporated a partial skeleton into the design, but Christopher’s main design for his was more simplistic.The entire thing was a black as polished jet. The weapon was eight feet tall with blades on both ends of the staff. There was a crescent shaped blade on the end close to the gray headed man’s feet. Black energy crackled up the shaft making my eyes move up to the other end of the weapon. 

This blade was just a bit smaller then Adrian's scythe, but it was much more intimidating. The metal looked like fire frozen in time with the twisted curls. The edges were a charcoal gray and the whole piece curved into the traditional scythe shape. When the elder moved the weapon, the flame like cut of the larger blade looked like it was moving. The entire death scythe was so tall, that there was no way for its master to stand it up without cutting into the floor or ceiling.

Ronald launched himself at the larger man with a surprising ferocity. Christopher is shocked at the other’s agility. The blond ducked under the large black scythe with his arms swinging the red machine towards the abdomen of his opponent. The blades on the bottom of the red weapon caught the flesh of the elder's side. I caught a flash of a satisfied grin from my friend as both reapers went towards the bathroom.

The resounding crash made me cringe and scramble for the bed. I pushed the frame from the wall a bit to wedge myself between it and the piece of furniture. The position gave me a better view of the struggle that was sure to come. I shrank back as far into my corner as I could go as grunts, thuds, growls, and muffled words came from the damaged doorway. There was a shattering noise that I just knew meant the bathtub was just demolished.

There was a bang, and the plaster of the wall cracked out like a spiderweb, and there was dust that came from the new mark. More banging came from the same spot, and the cracks and dent got larger. I watched as chunks of debris rained down on the floor making a pile of white dust. A shout rang out the same time a black blade pierced the wall. The sharp edge made such a clean cut through that wall as it was brought down towards the floor.

The blade stopped moving, and the damaged wall collapsed in a cloud of dust. I covered my nose and mouth and a blur came flying into the room. There was another loud bang when a body impacted the wall just a few feet from where I was crouched. Blond hair was seen through the dust, and I covered my head as crackles of black energy came between the reaper and me. Christopher was leaning against the whole he sent Ronald through with a hand pressed in the slice in his side.

The duel hair colored soul collector shook his head to dislodge most of the plaster as he pushed his form back on his feet with a steely look in his eyes. There was barely a spot on him that wasn't free from blood, but he didn't allow that to slow him down. Both reapers took off at the same time and clashed in the center of the room. Sparks flashed as scythes collided, and the sound of metal grating against metal made me cover my ears.

“I must admit, you are better then I thought you would be, Knox. Your trainer will be pleased,” Christopher commented as he shoved the younger man away. The black weapon was swung at the blond’s head, but all it cut was a few strands of hair. Ronald rolled under the blade to bring his lawnmower up to score another hit on the elder's side. The gray haired man quickly brought his shaft down to block the moving blades. Ronald allowed his cockiness a brief moment to shine.

“Thank you, Elder Warren. I'm sure your brother will be very happy to hear that. He's very strict with his teaching.” If I wasn’t so scared of being caught in the fight, I would've laughed at the shocked outrage on the older being’s face. Christopher let go of his scythe with one hand to punch Ronald in the head. The younger man was knocked off balance from the blow, and his opponent followed up with a kick in the stomach.

I saw blood come from the poor blond’s mouth as he was embedded in the floor. I covered my mouth as he gasped and coughed to get back air in his lungs. Christopher glowered as he slowly walked over to Ronald. A hand fisted in brown and blond locks and violently yanked the reaper out of the hole in the floor. The elder lifted Ronald so that he couldn't touch the floor. The younger reaper weakly held the arm keeping him suspended.

“Never mention him!” Christopher hissed out from clenched teeth. He released his scythe to bring his other hand up to clamp it around Ronald's neck. The blond's double iris eyes watered as his windpipe was being slowly crushed. “I have no brother! He is dead to me!” Christopher roared out as he strangled my friend. The blond clawed at the larger reaper’s wrist, but his struggles were getting weaker.

I looked around for anything to help, and my eyes landed on the smaller blade of the Councilman’s weapon. It was just a few feet from where I was, and I slowly reached out. The gray haired man’s voice had descended into background noise as I managed to grab the scythe. The whole thing was too heavy for me to lift, and I bit my lip to keep a noise of frustration behind my teeth. Ronald was now kicking out at the other in his efforts to breathe.

I edged my six month pregnant belly weight closer to the pair, and managed to fit the tip of the blade under the cuff to my right wrist. I winced when my skin was also nicked, but I ignored the pain and the blood that was dripping down my arm. I pulled against the crescent blade, and after a few heart stopping seconds, the cuff came off with a loud snap. Christopher turned to look over his shoulder, and I lifted my now free hand out in front of me.

A small but very hot stream of fire came at his face. The elder's wide eyes reflected the glow of my fire before it blocked my view. A thump announced that Ronald had been dropped, and a howling shout came from the other reaper as he covered his face to protect it from my fire. My hand was shaking from the effort of pulling my power from behind the restrictions of the other cuffs still on my left arm and wrist.

Ronald coughed as he crawled over to me. One of his hands was holding his throat, and he just about collapsed on my left side. I vaguely felt hands on my other wrist pulling at the metal still encircling it. I panted with the effort of keeping the fire stream steady, but a hand got a crushing hold on my wrist. The fire was abruptly cut off, and I was pulled up in the air. A choked off scream came from my throat as I felt something in my wrist crack.

A blurry face filled my vision, but there were tears in my eyes that obscured details. I was roughly brought close to a tall body, and the hand on my wrist tightened its hold making me scream again. An arm wrapped around my waist and took some of my weight. I felt the breath from the elder against my ear as he whispered to me.

“That was a very naughty thing you did. Why are you so determined to go back to him? Do you truly believe that he loves you? You are just a replacement for his lost love. He'll take your children away as soon as you have them, and give you over to the Angels.” The words made new tears come to my eyes as I shook my head in denial. I knew that Adrian didn't see me like that, but a small part of my heart began to wonder.

“You don't believe me? Then why did he hide his past from you? Why didn't he tell you about her? Why hasn't he told you about his former wife and unborn children? He doesn't even care about you. He would've come here to find you if he did. I wanted you to be spared of the pain from finding out, but with the way you've repaid my kindness, I'll allow you to discover the truth for yourself.” Another tightening of Christopher’s hand made black spots dance in my eyes.

“Let her go! Don't hurt her!” Ronald's voice pierced the fog of pain and weakness from fighting the magic suppressing my powers. I was suddenly released, and I fell on the mattress that shouldn't have been there. I curled up on my side as I cradled my injured arm. The sounds of a scuffle were coming from behind me, but I couldn't look away from my hand.

Blood was steadily streaming down from a surprisingly deep cut on the outside of my wrist, and the skin was already turning a deep purple. I tried to move it, but the pain caused me to freeze. There was something definitely broken. The amount of blood coming from the cut was alarming me, so I pulled on the sashed on the robe I had on. It took a few tries, but I managed to wrap it tightly around my hand and wrist. 

A smaller set of arms gathered me up from the ruined bed, and brought me up to a warm chest. There was a heartbeat next to my ear that helped to settle me. Ronald ran towards the window that had been cleared from the bars. He grabbed his death scythe on the way, but a flash of light caught my eye. Ronald let out a shout and hunched over me. I wrapped my good arm around his neck as he leapt from the windowsill.

The blond had his eyes squeezed shut and his teeth clenched as we fell though the air. I fisted my left hand in his jacket just above his shoulder blades and pulled up to look back. Christopher held his death scythe loosely in his left hand with an expressionless face as he watched us fall through the hole where the window once was. Red liquid captured my attention, and I looked down at my friend's back with a gasp.

Christopher had slashed a very large gash in the younger reaper’s back. Blood had almost soaked his jacket completely through. The arms holding me tightened as the soul collector shouted a warning for me to hold on. I ducked down to bury my face into his shoulder as the world around us flashed. Ronald had protectively curled around me as best he could as we traveled between the Realms.

It was different from traveling with Adrian. The ride was less smooth, and I quickly found myself becoming nauseous. I tightened my hold on my friend as the sensation of breaking the surface of water rushed over me. My friend twisted so I was on top of him during the first few seconds of free fall. The two of us landed on something hard that made Ronald gasp. Once everything was still again, I lifted my head out from the blond's shoulder.

I didn't even give my surroundings a glance as I tried to get off of my friend. I scrambled to his right side and pulled him up in a sitting position. The blond groaned as his weight pulled on the wound on his back. He coughed as he slumped in my arms. A wave of dizziness prevented me from doing anything else except provide something for the poor reaper to lean against. He panted from excursion, and I felt horrible that I couldn't do anything for him.

“Now….I see why the old man told me not to do that unless I had no choice.” I looked down at him as he tried to pull his body weight off of me. I forced him to rest more after I shifted the position he was in so he sagged over my left shoulder. “I managed to land us…” He trailed off as he cracked his eyes open to look around. “Crap…”

Following his eyes, I saw several shapes moving in the wooded area we were in. I shrank under his arm when a woman in a grim reaper suit came out of the shadows. She was very pretty with ivory skin and hip length snow white hair that had bangs off to the right side of her face. She had the same reaper eyes that Ronald and all other reapers possessed. She had a battle axe pointed in our direction as she stopped a few feet from where we were sitting on the ground.

“What have you gotten yourself into this time, Knox?” The last name was almost spat out like it was an insult. I caught several chuckles from the shadows, but the woman just glared in their direction. She slammed the axe down into the trunk of a tree, and I flinched from the sound of the tree falling. “Damn it, Knox! Talk to me!” The lady demanded as she walked closer to us. I looked at Ronald, but his hair covered his face from view.

“Isabelle, can we talk about this when I'm not bleeding to death?” Ronald asked through clenched teeth. He was swaying against me, and I watched him an alarm. There was a wet rattling that I could faintly pick up in his panting. The female reaper paused and looked over the two of us again. Her eyes widened, and she shouted over her shoulder.

“Get stretchers up here now! Tell Seth to expect wounded!” 

My friend completely slumped all his weight on me, and I let out a squeak at the unexpected shift. Isabelle came around on his other side, and pulled Ronald off me. A male reaper with a lavender silvery hair color that was short except in the front where it covered his left eye came over to see to me. He startled at my pregnant stomach, but he soon turned to my poorly bandaged wrist. His eyes soon peered into mine as he hummed.

“She looks stable. Just suffering from a broken wrist and exhaustion. She's also lost quite a bit of blood, and she's pregnant. We need to get both of them back at headquarters before someone come looking for them. I think she's the one, Bell.” The male reaper gathered me up in his arms as he spoke. I didn't bother fighting him.

Isabelle paled a bit, but she nodded with a determined air around her. Two others with brown hair loaded Ronald on the stretcher, and the woman motioned for all of us to follow her. I felt sweat bead on my forehead as we traveled through the woods. I moaned and pushed my face into the cool skin of the man carrying me. It must've alarmed him, because I heard him speak up again. I couldn't make out the words, but there was urgency in his tone.

I slipped into unconscious before any reply came to him.


	8. Chapter 8

Adrian's POV

The young reaperling hasn't come back for awhile. It was his night to see my kitten, and he isn't here! That boy knows not to be late, and yet he hasn't set foot on the property. I snarled in frustration making the demon glance at me from his spot across the room. I ignored the cat slit eyes as I paced in front of the window in the Phantomhive library. Ever since I lost control of my anger last time I got bad news, the vermin has shadowed my every move.

For the most part, Sebastian is very easy to ignore, but in my impatience, his stare makes my skin itch like an irritation. Especially when he has that know it all smirk on his face. My ears perked up when I heard him chuckle. I glared at the demon over my shoulder, and he held his hands up in the air with that smirk still showing. I spun on my heel and marched over to the demonic butler.

“What do you find so funny?” The words tasted harsh, but it felt strangely good to get some of the animosity out even if it was just verbally. Sebastian lifted one eyebrow at me and hummed a bit. I felt my fingers twitch for my death scythe, but William had paid a visit to neutralize one room in the manor against all powers. No matter if it was demonic, angelic, or reaper. Once the spell was complete, I was ordered to stay here with my new nanny.

“Nothing, reaper. I just find it so amusing to see you get worked up if your informant I'd a few minutes late.” The black haired man chuckled again as I narrowed my eyes at him. I took a breath and walked away from him. He was not making things easier for me by taunting me. I repeated the promise not to injure or kill the demon I had made to the little Earl several times today, and I wondered if I wouldn't be doing the boy a favor by putting the vermin down.

“I'm sure you would be as concerned if your little master had been taken, master butler. I know you've spent years cultivating his soul for your palette.” The crimson eyed man glared at me, but I just smiled back. “I have to say, never in my life have I ever seen one of your race so attached to one soul. Is this particular morsel going to be worth all the time you've put into the flavor?” My tone was reminiscent to the one I used whenever the butler and Earl came for answers.

Sebastian sneered at me from his spot by the door. His eyes glowed in his annoyance with me, and I took pride in still being able to get under the black haired man’s skin. I leaned against a bookshelf and crossed my arms over my chest. The two of us had been snipping at each other, and I'm sure the humans around here are sick of it. Although, a question suddenly came to mind that I asked without giving it a second thought.

“Say, why are you so interested in Cal’s soul if you got the little Earl’s?” I relished the shocked look on his face, and I was surprised when the thoughts that were brought up with my words didn't anger me like I expected they would. I must be experiencing a lucid moment right now. I just gave a mental shrug. I needed someway to pass the time until the blond youngling arrived with word on my sweet angel.

“Hmm. I never expected you to outright ask about that. Ever since that incident on the ship, you've been wanting my head on a pike.” I gave the other man in the room a savage grin that was all teeth. The demon shifted minutely to show his discomfort with my expression. “Why would you ask a demon that? I'm not sure you could handle my answer without trying to kill me.” I just cackled and waved my hand in dismissal.

“I'm stable right now. I'm sure I can take whatever you have to say without causing too much damage. Tell me, master butler. Why are you sniffing around my mate’s soul?” I tilted my head to look at the other through the fringe of my hair. There was an openly curious look on my face, but I griped my hands on my arms to hid my unease. Sebastian watched me for a few minutes, but soon rested his chin on one of his hands.

“There are many desirable qualities about her soul. It contains a purity that has mostly vanished from human souls as time as progressed. It is unusual, a rare gem among coal and rocks as I'm sure you will agree with my opinion.” I nodded to show that I did, indeed, agree with his assessment so far. Cal is unique compared to any other being I have been in contact with in all my years wondering the Realms.

“I can almost taste the power that her soul possess. Such strong energy like one of those angels, but in an easier digestible form.” The crimson eyes became unfocused as he licked his lips. “Just the taste I had was intoxicating. Usually I prefer more suffering and despair in my meals, but the flavor of her soul was delicious. A prize to be savored over a long period of time.” Sebastian’s eyes locked on me as he smirked. I vaguely felt my fingernails digging into the clothes and skin on my arms, but I remained impassive.

“I had planned on stealing her soul when the young master was investigating the Noah’s Ark Circus, but that girl surprised me by not only resisting my influence, she was able to hold me off with ease. Although, she had assistants from that little trinket you've got.” A white gloved finger pointed to the purple crystal heart that was around my throat just under the scar. My right index finger twitched, but I didn't lift my hand to trace the charm.

“Miss Cal has fire within her spirit, both literally and figuratively. It would be absolutely lovely to corrupt that pure light she holds.” I caught the tips of his fangs as the demon allowed his true nature to shift under his human disguise. I narrowed my eyes at the display, but I knew that was the only thing he could do within this room. The black haired butler began to pace around the edges of the room while keeping eyes lock on me. I moved to the center of the room so I could keep distance between us.

“Darkening the inner light slowly, choking the hope that allows her to be strong. Watching the life dim in her blue eyes as her soul is drained from her body over the years. With the angelic heritage she has, the process would have to be done in small increments. Too much holiness is bad for demons. There are so many ways to flavor a soul just to perfection, but there is something else that could be done with something like her.” I shut my eyes as Sebastian circled around me. With every pass, he got closer, and his voice got softer.

I felt hands lightly rest on my shoulders with claws tapping. The warmth of the man behind me was seeping uncomfortably through my old mortician’s robes that I had dawned. The barely there caresses over my shoulders and through the mass of hair I had made almost imperceptibly lean into the gentle touch. I tightened my hold on my arms however, I'm sure Sebastian noticed. Hot breath wafted by my ear, and I could hear the grin in his voice.

“She would make the most wonderful seductress, don't you think? The angelic blood she has is so easy to turn demonic if given the right push, and she would excel at tempting all manner of souls.” One of the hands on my shoulders drifted down in my hair and came around my waist. The fingers flexed, but I wasn't drawn back closer to the butler. The other hand was drifting its way around my neck towards my jaw.

“Miss Cal’s appearance is very uncommon. All that pale skin that is as smooth as porcelain that is contrasted by vivid flamelike locks. Her blue eyes would change, but they would still capture the attention of her target. She could effortlessly charm her way into anyone’s bed now, but her beauty would only be enhanced if she succumbed to the darkness. It would just take one tiny seed.” I remained motionless as his claws trailed up to tease the edge of my face. The tiny pricks weren't as unpleasant as they should've been.

His words painted a picture of my kitten in a room laying on plush pillows of all colors. The room was dark save for the candles that casted a warm glow over Cal’s skin. A white silk sheet was draped over her slender form, but left her arms and legs bare. There were many men around her offering food, drink, and other things like she was some kind of empress from the times of old. There was even a shadowed figure feeding her grapes.

At first glance she was everything that I had remembered from the last time I saw her, but as I observed more things began to change.

The light in her eyes was cold and unwelcoming. The angles of her body were sharper, and there was a cruelty in the air that surrounded her. Cal resembled more of a doll instead of the warm, living woman I had known. Her eyes flickered around on all the faceless men that were scattered in the room with her before they met mine, and the look on her face made my blood freeze.

The look of contempt, hatred, lifelessness, and indifference had taken the place of love, laughter, and fond annoyance that was often casted in my direction. My mental self reached out a hand for her, but all I got was a wave of dismissal. The shadowed males rose to their feet and came at me as I stood there in shock. I felt hands on me again, and a dark chuckle in my ears.

There was a hand tracing over a scar that ran close to my pelvis. When that hand wormed under my clothes was unknown to me. The other hand was running over the delicate skin under my ear with claws playing with the vein branching beneath the skin. Warm moist breath was felt on the other side of my head, and it was accompanied with the feeling of loose hair that wasn't mine brushing against my skin. Fangs were nipping on the shell of my ear with a hum, and the sting helped bring my back.

My eyes snapped open and I had a hand around Sebastian’s throat before I knew what I was doing. My left hand held him out from my person a couple of feet as I stared ahead where my love had just been in my vision. My nails dug into the vulnerable flesh, drawing blood that stained the pristine white shirt the demon wore. When my eyes finally looked over at his direction, the bastard was smiling.

“Didn't like how I painted the picture for you, reaper?” He hoarsely asked. I sneered at him as I let him go. An ungloved hand ran its fingers over the puncture marks as he took a step back further from me. The black clad butler chuckled as he brought his blood covered fingers to his mouth. I moved to face him while I glowered at his lack of response over provoking me. His fangs flashed as he cleaned his blood off his hand, and I narrowed my eyes in disgust.

“Your restraint is remarkable when you're lucid. I was prepared for a fight.” He chuckled again. Seeing the taunt for what it was, I gave a serious thought about taking him up on the fight, but I did ask for it. “You also have a vivid imagination, Crevan. Miss Cal looked absolutely stunning in that vision. She is excellent succubus material.” I snorted, trying to remain in control of my rage.

“So you either want to devour her soul, or turn her into a demon. You do know that's impossible now that she is mated to me.” The dark scowl on the demon’s face almost made up for the unwanted touching he did. “Cal is too pure for the likes of you and your kind, and the only way you could ever try to get your hands on her soul again is over my dead body. I will keep her safe from vermin like you,” I stated confidently. The surety in my tone made Sebastian snarl at me.

“Like you kept her safe from her enemies? You've done a fantastic job so far.” I snarled right back, but I didn't come closer to the black haired man. My hands were clenched in fists so tight, that I pierced the skin of my palms. Blood dripped on the floor, and the butler made a face at the mess. We glared at each other as the tension skyrocketed in the library. It would be so easy to overtake this man, but I put every bit of self control into not fighting him.

Ciel would throw me out for the Hunters to find me. Not something I want to deal with at the moment. 

The sound of a throat clearing cut through the silence with a startling amount of noise. I whipped my head over to the entrance of the room I was in to see William standing there. I still had his fist up next to his mouth, and I cocked my head to the side as I took a few steps in his direction. Sebastian gave a glower at the unexpected visitor, but he went in the opposite direction. I paid the demon no mind, but William sneered at his back.

“How can you stand to be in the presence of vermin is beyond me, sir.” I felt my lips twitch in amusement as I closed the distance between us. The younger reaper used his ridiculous death scythe to push his glasses up on the bridge of his nose as he tracked the other man in the room. While he was not the one I wanted to see, I welcomed his appearance. It's getting dull being trapped in a room with a demon all the time.

“Sir, I understand that Ronald Knox has been keeping you informed with Miss Stone, but he needs to report back to the Dispatch Unit. You can't keep him from his duties every time he brings you an update. We are short handed enough as it is.” The words were said in that tone less voice he always used, but they made me frown nonetheless. The realization made something inside me grow cold.

“William…Ronald hasn't been here in three days.”


	9. Chapter 9

Cal’s POV

The first thing I saw was bright light. I squinted my eyes and lifted a hand to block out the unwanted brightness. My movement must've brought attention to me, because foot steps quickly came over to the hospital like bed I was laying on. The silhouette of unfamiliar man blocked out most of the light, and I let out a groan of relief. Gentle hands ran over my face and arms as I tried to get more awake.

“Miss, can you hear me?” A soft voice that made me think of a soothing stream came from the silhouette. I attempted to nod, but everything suddenly flared up in pain making me gasp. Broad hands cupped my shoulders to ease me back down in a comfortable position, and a cool cloth covered my eyes. I felt the tension drain out of my muscles as a cool darkness helped ease the pain in my head.

“Don't try to move, miss. Your body's gone through quite the shock, but you and your babies are safe and healthy now,” the nice voice said. I made a sound in the back of my throat that made me realize how sore it felt. The person with me disappeared for a few seconds, but returned with something that he pressed against my lips. “Drink this. It'll help.” He carefully tilted my head back to assist.

After a few small swallows, the soreness of my throat and my body was lowered to a more manageable level. The cup was removed and I settled back on the mound of pillows behind me. The broad hands gently took my right arm to manipulate the joints, and when I didn't let out any noise of pain, he worked his way around my legs, saving my left arm for last. I noticed that he paused when he came to my elbow.

“Miss…can you tell me what this is for? It's causing fluctuations in your energy levels, and I'm concerned. The fluctuations are not good for you or your children.” I stiffened, and the man was quick to respond. “You're not in any danger now, miss, but I need to remove that thing before you go into labor.” I felt his fingers trace the edges of the cuff, and it took a few attempts for me to get my words out.

“It suppresses my bond with my mate. One of the elder's put it on me, and I haven't felt…” It was almost overwhelming for me to admit that out loud. “I've had it one for four almost five months now.” The silence was deafening, and I wanted to remove the cloth over my eyes to see what was happening. There was the sound of metal dropping on the floor that made me startle. Sounds of outrage quickly drowned out the silence.

“That's horrible!”

“What sick, twisted-”

“I know those monsters-”

“Why would-”

“Seth, can it-”

“Enough! You lot are not helping! My patient needs rest, not an interrogation!” The man that was treating me shouted to the others in the room. The kindness of his voice had transformed into hard steel that booked no argument. I shifted a bit on the bed as everything quieted down again. The man spoke again, but softer now that his point had been made. “Isabelle, I want you to stay and try and get that…that…abomination off of her!” 

I wanted to scream for them to leave it alone. There was a part of me that didn't want Adrian finding me yet, but my fear for my children held my tongue. The man held out my arm and the clacking of heels announced of freedom. There was a cold sensation that slipped between the band and the skin of my arm. I clenched my fists and jaw in preparation. The man flexed his hands around my arm in a strangely comforting manner.

“This might overwhelm you, miss, but bear with us. It will make things better, I promise.” My hands were shaking in anticipation. I had been cut off from both Fenrir and Adrian for so long. I desperately wanted to believe his words that everything would be fine, and before I knew it, there was a loud snap. A high pitched tinkling sounded, and the band was gone. I sat there in stillness for what felt like forever, but nothing happened.

Then a wave crashed over me.

I gasped as heat flooded through my veins, and I felt the hands holding my arm release me. There was the fire that I had come to know as my weapon spirit warm my very soul. The emptiness was being filled with a rush of concern, anger, fear, love, and relief from being reunited with me. There was a gasp in the room, and I tore the cloth off of my eyes to see amber flames coalesce into the shape of a wolf that was no bigger then a regular wolf. Once the fire had died down, I threw my arms around the wolf.

“Pup! Oh, my pup!” Fenrir practically covered me as best he could with his smaller body. His tail was wagging, but he didn't seem to mind in the least as he squirmed in my hold. I felt tears run down my cheeks as I buried my face in his soft fur. He whined as he nuzzled every once he could reach. “You have no idea how worried I've been!” He pulled back to lick my face free of tears. I found myself giggling as I tried to pull back from the range of his tongue.

“Fenrir! I'm happy to see you too, but I don't need a bath!” I said as I twisted my head back and forth to speak without getting a mouthful of fur or wolf tongue. He whined more and continued to lick every inch of my face. I pushed at his furry head, but I didn't put any strength into it. I guess I needed this as much as the canine did. I let him be for a few more seconds, but soon I did give him a harder push.

I twisted my finger in the spirit’s fur to maintain contact. The wolf finally got the hint, and moved back to look me over with sharp eyes. He sniffed over me, and I took his mother henning in stride. I was too happy to have him here to protest his need to make sure I was safe. While he was going over me, I felt the emptiness smaller then it was before, but not completely filled. There was still something missing.

I gasped as something else surged through my soul making me tighten my hold of the russet fur of the wolf. I felt like I was drowning in a sea of energy. This was more powerful then anything I had ever felt before. Fenrir’s reconnection was nothing like this. His was a gentle easing back into place, but this was forceful. Like trying to squeeze something that was just a bit bigger then the hole you were trying to fit it through.

Rage was the predominant emotion I felt, but there was also surprise, terror, bloodlust, an urge to destroy, pain, loss, sorrow, longing, and insanity. The longer this went on, I could feel hope, love, relief, and peace warring with the rest of his emotions. I gritted my teeth as Adrian's soul thrashed between our bond. The intensity of everything that came from my mate threatened to take me away in a haze, but just as I nearly lost my grip on my sense of self, the bond snapped back into place.

I panted as the bond soothed the emptiness and insanity between the two of us. My eyes had clenched shut, and beads of sweat ran down my face. I could feel my body trembling from where I rested up against Fenrir. The wolf had curled around me as I clung to him, riding out the storm inside my soul. Soon, all the turmoil died down into a rush of pure joy, and everything faded back to a manageable level.

“What…was that?” I whispered in a broken voice. The weapon spirit didn't respond, but he did growl when the man from before cleared his throat. The wolf was instantly between me and the other two in the room with his lips pulled back in a snarl. My fingers ran through his fur as I took a peek around him to look at the people that helped me. “Please stop, Fenrir. They took off the cuff.”

Isabelle was standing with her hand on the hilt of her axe, but she made no move to draw it. She seemed to relax a bit when Fenrir stopped snarling at the two, although he still kept me behind his body as he waited for either one of the others to speak up. Isabelle looked in awe of me as she took in just who was protecting me. She was watching the spirit warily, and I looked over to the other being in the room. 

He was tall…taller then Adrian. He looked athletic, but he was more muscular then the reapers I was use to seeing. The man had on a white lab coat over a black t-shirt and blue jeans. His attire was the most modern of anyone I've encountered since I came here. He would fit in back in my time especially with his short auburn hair that just fell above his eyes, smooth face, and…solid forest green eyes? He had no glasses on. 

This man wasn't a grim reaper. I narrowed my eyes as I took in his features again. There was something very familiar about him.

“That was quite impressive, miss.” The non-reaper smiled as he spoke. I felt Fenrir relax as the man slowly walked closer to the bed. He stopped just out of striking range from the wolf, and bowed his head. “May I please look over your partner? I want to see if the sudden reunion of the two bonds she possesses have stabilized.” He was very polite in his wording, but Fenrir seemed a little uneasy with allowing him so close to me.

“Very well, youngling.” He growled out after a few minutes of silence. “But just know that I will be watching you.” The spirit moved to squeeze himself on the other side of me as he watched the young man straighten from his bow. He offered me his hand with a gentle smile on his face. I stared as his hand for a moment, but I took it with my own. I could feel the golden eyes of the wolf observe for any signs of trouble, but I wanted to give the man the benefit of the doubt.

“My name is Seth. Seth Lyon. I'm the healer for Isabelle’s unit.” That soothing quality was back, and I relaxed against my will. The auburn haired man gave me a smile as he ran his other hand over the rest of my body. Seth closed his eyes and a faint green glow outlined him. I fell into a highly relaxed state that one could only achieve with the use of a sedative. I sank down in the pillows all warm and fuzzy. 

After a few minutes, Seth’s dark green eyes snap open, and he stares at me with an unreadable expression. Then, a large grin splits his face. Clarity rushes over me, and I got the same felling he did. I felt my lips grow into a smile that matches his, and we started to giggle uncontrollably. Fenrir and Isabelle stopped their staring contest that had been going on for a while with looks of confusion on their faces.

“I believe I know who you are. Cal, right? The granddaughter of Zion?” I nodded with my smile still on my face, and the man let out a whoop of excitement. “I had hoped I'd get the chance to meet you! I didn't expect that you'd just fall on the front door so to speak! This is going to make your treatment so much simpler!” He lifted his right hand with his index finger pointing up. The tip of it started to glow that pale green again as he brought it to my forehead. 

Warmth spread over me, taking all the pain from the last few months I had spent as Christopher's test subject. The feeling reminded me of warm summer days spent outside next to a lake. Everything soothed over, and I felt my energy return. Even the feeling of my bonds seemed as smooth as silk when Seth took his finger away. I almost climbed out of bed to give the man a hug, but Fenrir quick moved over me.

“Fenrir! Come on, I'm fine!” I whined at the wolf. He ignored me and placed himself back in front of me. I huffed at the overprotective fur ball, and he just lightly smacked me with his tail before he settled over my legs. He curled around my belly with his head facing the woman reaper and the male in the room. Isabelle was more relaxed I. The wolf's presence, but she looked like she wasn't sure what to make of the situation. 

Seth on the other hand was grinning like a loon.

“Is Ronald ok?” I asked Seth. He just chuckled as he nodded.

“I fixed him up. He needs to take it easy for a few days, but he'll make a full recovery!” I smiled in relief. “Now let's talk about other things! I haven't seen another like me since Father brought me to this time.” The auburn haired man skipped up with a chair to sit next to me. Fenrir must've finally realized the connection, because he snorted in amusement. I ruffled his head making his ears flop around.

Isabelle just threw up her hands in frustration. “Would you two start make sense!? You mean to tell me that she IS the Angel of Death’s heiress?” The female reaper looked at both of us for a few minutes with her eyes flickering between us from behind her wire frame glasses. Then the duel reaper eyes widened in shock and a bit of…horror? “No…don't tell me…” Seth snickered in his hand.

“Well, I guess we do have a lot to talk about, don't we, cousin?”


	10. Chapter 10

Cal’s POV

Isabelle just gaped at us, but I guess I would've as well if I was in her shoes.

“There's more of you!?” She shouted at Seth, making Fenrir's eyes snap over to her location with his ears back. “How many more nephilim are there in the world, and why do I seem to end up as their babysitter?” The white haired woman muttered under her breath. I saw Seth’s smile slide off his face as he watched her grumble.

“Don't let Father or Shawn hear you use that word. Father might be the Archangel of Healing, but he has a nasty temper. Shawn’s just as bad, and you know it.” Seth shook his head as he looked over at me. “My twin,” he said when he noticed my confusion. I blinked with surprise on my face. “I know. It's rare if there is more then one child that comes from the union of angel and human, twins are practically unheard of, but when your father is Raphael…” He trailed off with a shrug.

It was hard for humans and angels to have kids together. Not only was it forbidden, but it can be very hard on the human parent. Especially if it's a human mother. The pregnancy is very risky, and many women that bare halflings become sterile after giving birth. Sometimes the strain of carrying half of a divine being causes both the mother and the baby to die. Most of the time the child survives at the cost of the mother’s life. My dad was one of the lucky ones to keep his mother.

“Huh. That makes since,” I said. Raphael would have no trouble making sure that his twins and their mother live during birth and pregnancy. “Where is your brother? I'd like to meet him.” The auburn man snickered with that easygoing smile of his. He leaned back on the chair and propped his feet up on the bed by my knees. His arms crossed his chest, and we ignored the reaper pacing while muttering.

“Shawn is looking over your friend right now. He should be-” There was a loud bang that made me flinch. Seth just rolled his eyes as Isabelle glared at the door. I peered around my new found cousin to see an exact copy of the man stomp into the room. They're even dressed the same way! The only difference I could see was the hair color of the twin. Seth had a very dark red, but Shawn’s hair was the color of rust.

He marched over to the auburn haired man and gripped the back of his chair. Seth was pulled back to that only the two back legs were still on the floor. He looked up into the thunderous expression of his brother with a smirk on his face. Shawn just glared harder at his brother, and I bit my lip to keep quiet. Fenrir just stared at the newcomer, but in the end, he dismissed both brothers as a threat.

“Is something wrong, brother mine?” Seth asked in a calm voice. “You look a little…frustrated.” His question was just met by a growl. The darker haired twin cocked his head to the side in what looked like mock confusion. Before the halfling could ask another question, the other male pulled on the chair again. This made Seth flail a bit at the unexpected shift, and his eyes widened to show his surprise.

The other just let out a shout and yanked his brother off the chair. I blinked as I watched the two scuffle on the floor, each doing their best to pin the other down. As they rolled around, I looked up to the other woman in the room. She had her hand covering her face, pinching the bridge of her nose. My eyes followed the pair on the floor again before I threw Isabelle a question over the noise the brothers were making.

“Are they always like this?” I smiled at the scene. After being by myself for weeks on end, it was nice to see rambunctiousness again. Adrian was a force all on his own, and there were several times during the day when he would get clumsy or something. There were times when I thought he did it on purpose just to see me smile or hear me laugh. A sudden flash of longing pierced me, and I dug my fingers in the russet fur of the wolf still resting on my lap.

“Several times a day at least. You wouldn't believe how many tea sets have been broken thanks to these two. My unit had to form another financial account to pay for any damages the Twins cause when they gat like this.” The wrestling match had migrated further in the room, and the white haired reaper had walked over to stand next to the bed to avoid getting pulled in. She glanced over at me with an appraising glint in her duel iris eye.

“So…you’re the one that managed to tame the legendary grim reaper?” I turned my attention to her with a puzzled frown, but I nodded anyway. She shook her head with a small smile. “After what happened to him, I never thought he would find happiness again. You better guard his heart well. It would destroy him if anything happened to you. Knox and several of my subordinates have told me how close he came to snapping when you were taken.” 

“What do you mean again? I don't understand.” Frustration seeped into my tone when I asked her. “I'm tired of only getting pieces. Adrian has never told me anything of importance of his past, and everyone else has been hinting about it since I've been captured! It like every person is rubbing a deep secret in my face, and I want it to stop! Christopher has even said something! I want the whole story!” The whole room had gone silent after I had finished shouting.

“You are definitely pregnant if that mood swing was any clue.” One of the brothers spoke up from their pile. I glared in their direction, and both of them flinched at my gaze. Seth and Shawn slowly moved to separate and straighten their clothes. I could have sworn that Isabelle choked back a snicker at how subdued the halflings were behaving.

“Sorry, Cal. My brother often speaks without thought. Ow! You know it's true!” Seth snapped at his twin as he moved out of the way from another kick to the shin. “Anyway…” He pulled at his lab coat as he gave his brother a side glare. “Your mate should be here soon. After Ronald Knox explained everything, one of our coworkers was sent out to find him. We're about an hour north of Oxford, so it will be awhile. Ask him when he gets here. It's his story to tell, not ours.”

Those words brought to mind how I met Adrian long ago when he rescued me from dying in a graveyard from blood loss. He trusted me to tell him my story when I felt comfortable, and I tried to do the same for him. However, it looked like I'll have to force it out of him. I bit my lip as I forced myself to relax. When that reaper shows his face, I vowed to grab him by his ridiculously silky hair and strangle him if he doesn't tell me what happened to him and this girl Tisha. 

After I kiss him senseless first!

Shawn and Seth looked relieved when they noticed the lack of hostility. Both males had grins on their faces as they walked over to me. The reaper huffed when she was asked to leave the room for some family bonding, but she did without complaint. Seth clapped a hand down on his twin’s shoulder and shoved him to go around the bed while he plopped back down in his chair. The lighter haired male dragged another chair to sit on my other side.

“Cal, this is my younger brother. Shawn, this is Cal. Uncle Zion’s granddaughter.” Shawn made a face at the darker haired man at being called the younger sibling, but he smiled at me as he held out his hand. His grip was very strong, but he also held a gentleness to his strength. He wiggled his eyebrows at me, and I giggled at the way his face contorted when got a face full of fur from the spirit.

Fenrir gave both halflings a stern look before he rested his head back down on my thighs or a nap apparently. I felt slight tremors in his frame from amusement, and I stifled another snicker. It was obvious that the wolf was t going to leave my side anytime soon, but I couldn't bring myself to complain over it. I had missed the fur ball too much. I ran my fingers through the fur on his head making my partner let out the wolf version of a purr. He snuggled closer to me, keeping the bulk of his body curled protectively around the swell of my belly.

“It's nice to see a fresh face, especially when it's a new family member! It's been so dull around here with all the hiding and preparing for battle and all that.” Shawn waved a hand as he slouched in his seat. “For a moment, I think Seth and I were about to go stir crazy. Izzy refuses to let us leave this base.” The rust haired man had a pout on his face that shouldn't be as adorable as it was. 

“Neither of us have the patience to stay still for very long.” I looked over at the auburn haired man that was sitting with his arms crossed. He was amused by his brother’s whining, but he didn't disagree. 

“You can say that! I wanted to go outside and shout just so I could fight with the Hunters! It's boring being cooped up in here!” I turned my head to look back to the younger twin. I was going to do this a lot, I can feel it coming.“I tried to get him to convince Izzy to let us out, but she still said no.”

“Why did you ask me to do it?” Seth addressed his twin. “Why didn't you ask her?”

“She likes you better!” Shawn rolled his eyes like it was obvious.

“Well, if you didn't call her Izzy all the time, she would like you too.”

“But Isabelle is a mouth full! Izzy suits her better.”

“You're just too lazy. Isabelle hates laziness and you know it.”

“She needs to relax and not be a stick in the mud. You know I'm right.” 

Seth’s lips pursed as he held his words back while Shawn grinned back at his elder. The darker haired twin ignored the smug look directed his way, and looked back over at me. I was smiling and giggling. It was like watching a tennis match with the way the brothers were talking. When I glanced at both brothers again, they had matching smiles on their faces. I felt the one on my face widen in response.

“She does have a cute laugh!” Shawn piped up. I reached out and have him a half hearted swipe of the shoulder. He just stuck his tongue out at me and tugged on a section of my hair. “You better get use to us, Cal! We're not going anywhere! We're family after all!” The lighter haired twin moved over to sling his arm over my shoulders. The move jostled the wolf, but Fenrir just let out a growling snore.

“Go easy on her, little brother. We don't want to break our new family member just yet.” Seth gave Shawn a warning look that the other just nodded along to. The younger ruffled my hair with a closed eye smile, and I nearly melted in the gentle touch. The older of the two moved his chair closer to us and set a hand over my left one. I think this relaxed the brothers enough to really open up to me, and we talked for what felt like hours.

As time passed, Seth and Shawn had moved on the bed on either side of me. I felt safe with their arms over my shoulders and their voices in the air. I rested my head on Seth’s shoulder as I held Shawn’s other hand. I let out a yawn while the brothers told me stories about the prank war they had gotten into with another set of twins in their home town. My eyes slipped closed for just a few seconds when a loud crash came from the corridor startled me out of my doze.

Fenrir, Seth, and Shawn all jerked their heads to the closed door that Isabelle had shut when she left. The rust haired twin leapt out of bed, and placed himself between the bed and the door. Seth maneuvered me so I was hidden by the bulk of his frame, and the wolf was slowly rising into a crouch over my legs. The auburn haired halfling had a grim looking his face that made him seem older then I thought he was.

“What's happening out there, Shawn? Can you hear anything?” Seth’s words were hushed as he asked his twin. The younger brother cocked his head to the side, but shook his head. Shawn stiffened on his feet as he watched the door. The man beside me let out a growls he pulled me further into his side. “What can you make out?”

“Just a lot of noise nothing specific. Although…whatever is out there, it's coming this way. Isabelle and Jackson are trying to intercept the disturbance, but from the sound of it, they're not having any luck.” He moved into a more solid stance. It looked like he was waiting for the door to burst open any minute.

I fisted my hand in the lab coat of my cousin as I strained my ears to listen to the ruckus. Distant shouting could be heard through the walls as well as the sounds of metal hitting metal. I felt a lump settle in my throat in fear. A brief image of an enraged Christopher flashed in my mind made me force down a whimper of terror. I looked over to see Fenrir snarling silently. He must've felt my eyes on him because he quickly moved his head to give me a nuzzle to the face.

“I won't let them take you again.” There was steel to his words, and I clasped onto the confidence the wolf had to back up his claim. A larger hand settled on the russet fur covered head. Fenrir's golden eyes lifted up to meet the deep green eyes of my cousin. I followed his gaze and started to see such raw determination held within those depths. A squeeze to my shoulder was my only warning before the arm around me moved away.

“They'll have to get past us first. We won't let anything happen to our little one.” Shawn made a sound of agreement with his twin’s words. Seth moved so that his back stood in front of the bed just within arm’s reach of me. The wolf took his place beside me just as the door was hit. I flinched at the loud bangs that dented the metal, and buried my face in the soft fur of my weapon partner. Instinctively, I curled my body to make myself a smaller target as the sound got louder.

There was more shouting, but the voice was familiar to me. Not knowing if it was a friend or foe made me stay in my position. There was a bang that sounded twice, thrice. On the fourth one, the door slammed into the wall with an even louder crash. I trembled as everything was still and silent in the room. The tension in the room was so thick a butter knife could slice it, and the sound of a very familiar snarl shattered the silence.

“Where is she?!” That voice made me pull my face from the plush barrier I had hidden myself in. “I know she's here! Tell me where she is!” There was a grunt that came from one of the twins after a few minutes of unresponsiveness. Seth was tense in his stance as he blocked me from view. A fight was taking place as I felt the wave of familiarity wash over me, and smooth everything that had happened in the past few months. When the sound of someone choking registered in my mind I shoved at the halfling out of my way as I shouted.

“Adrian, STOP!”


	11. Chapter 11

Cal POV

The silver haired man was a sight for sore eyes…even if he was covered in dust, leaves, twigs, and holding a person up by their throat. He was clad in his usual mortician’s robes with his scythe held in one hand while Shawn was pinned to the wall with his other. Everyone in the room was tense and still like they were in the presence of a predator that wouldn't hesitate to rip their throats out, and with the way the mad man was snarling, the chances of that happening were very high. 

I felt ready to burst into tears with my lover just standing a few yards away, but he never turned in my direction. I blinked as he continued to threaten and demand answers from the reapers around him, and Fenrir snorted in amusement at his tunnel vision. Seth gave me a startled look over his shoulder before his eyes flickered to the enraged reaper and his brother. I felt my irritation grow under my skin at the lack of attention from my lover and searched around for something.

“I know she's here! If you refuse to tell me where she is, I'll-!” A glass shattered when it struck the back of his head making everyone gasp. The silver haired man whipped around with his hair and debris flying everywhere as he finally looked in my direction with that snarl still on his face. He froze when he saw me on the bed with my arms crossed and tapping my fingers on my elbow with a glare on my face. The fight instantly drained out of the man, and the tension in the room dissipated.

“Kitten?” Adrian asked in such a small, lost voice that I felt my face soften. He took a few hesitant steps towards me before I was enveloped on strong arms. Fenrir let out a yelp as he was shoved to the side, and a large reaper proceeded to do his best to curl around me. My face was buried in his neck and kisses were being rained down on my hair. The sandalwood and cinnamon scent surrounded me as tears slid down my cheeks. I could feel his breathing become shaky as he pulled me tighter against his frame. The quiet steps of others alerted me that our audience was leaving.

“I'm so sorry. Please forgive me,” He whispered in my hair in between sobs. I did my best to wrap my arms around him, but he refused to let loose. In the end, I patted and rubbed his chest where my hands were pressed between our bodies. An arm was around my waist, and a hand clutched the back of my head to keep my face in the crook of his neck. When I tried to pull away, his hug grew tighter making me let out a squeak. 

“Adrian, you're crushing me,” I said as gently as I could, but that didn't stop him from moving back like he had been scalded. It threw me off for a few seconds, but I fisted my hands in his robes before he got too far away from me. “I didn't mean for you to let go, you idiot! Just don't squeeze me too tight.” I smiled at him as I rewrapped his arms around my shoulders. He looked almost scared as he settled back down.

Then my lover’s eyes roamed over me, and I watched in pleasure as his chartreuse eyes widen when they landed on my swollen stomach. I pulled one of his hands to place it on top of the swell. There was shock and joy that made his face light up especially when one of the twins kicked at where his hand was resting. A sound escaped his throat as he caressed my belly with a reverent gleam in his eyes.

It took a bit of moving, but soon I was perched in his lap with my head over his heart with a smile on my face. There was an arm around my back, and the reaper's other hand continued to rub my stomach. Both babies were active, and Adrian would pause when one of his children nudged his hand. I had melted as I listened to his heart in my ear. This time I had one hand loosely holding the arm in front of me, and I fisted the robe over his chest just below my chin.

“I missed you, tiger.” I murmured as I closed my eyes, feeling at peace and safe after months of anxiety. The former mortician twitched, but he never stopped running his hands over me as he curled around me a bit. His touch made every nerve sing in relief at being reunited with my mate. I nuzzled into his chest happily, and I felt his lip curl into a smile from where they were pressed against my forehead. I tilted my head up to kiss my lover.

The silver haired reaper enthusiastically responded with a tenderness that nearly brought tears to my eyes. The kiss was just a simple touch of lips, but the fact that we could share this again helped to finally heal the damages from having our bond suppressed. When I felt something in his thick mane tickle the side of my neck, I pulled away from my lover with a giggle. Adrian had his eyes closed as he attempted to follow me, but I stopped his progress with my finger tips resting over his mouth.

“Did you fall into a bush on your way here?” I giggled some more when he blinked in confusion. I reached up to untangle a twig from that mass of hair. When I held it in front of him, the reaper just looked at the wood like he had never seen it before. “There is some much foliage in your hair I bet we could build a tree. I wouldn't be surprised if I found a squirrel in there!” I laughed some more as I plucked another leaf.

Pink spreads over the pale cheeks of my tiger, and he mumbles something under his breath as he pulls a fat lock of hair over his shoulder. His scared nose wrinkles when he sees all the stuff sticking out at odd angles. I cover my mouth as I giggle at his disgruntled expression. The reaper tries to comb out some of the larger pieces with his fingers, but they snag on a tangle a few inches down from where he started.

“Come on, tiger,” I said as I moved to slip out of the bed. “Let's see if I can help tame that mass of hair for you.” The madman was quick to follow me, and even then he refused to let me go. I lead him to the bathroom that Seth had pointed out to me earlier when I mentioned that I wanted a bath in the near future. I took a quick glance over to where the door to the room was to see it back on its hinges and shut. Not looking a gift horse in the mouth, I pushed open the door to the bathroom.

The silver haired man just about glued himself to my back as I waddled over to the surprisingly large bathtub and began to fill it. When I tried to turn around to tell my lover to undress, arms that has snaked around me again refused to let go. I tugged at the sleeves covering pale skin, but he still wouldn't let go. I peeled his hands off me and turned around to cup his face in my hands. Adrian's eyes wouldn't meet mine as I stroked the portion of his scar that was on his cheek.

“I'm here, love. I'm right here.” I waited patiently for his eyes to flicked to mine, and I smiled at him when he took one of my hands and pressed a kiss in my palm. “Let's get you cleaned up. That'll help you feel better.” Once I got a nod, I turned back to shut the water off while my lover disrobed. I found a stool and a pitcher and filled it up as Adrian sank into the steaming hot water. The lower half of his hair turned darker and floated on the top of the water making it look like mercury.

I poured the water over his head, and set about pulling out everything that had become trapped in the starlight mane. The reaper rested his arms on the sides of the tub, and tilted his head back to I could reach all of his hair. I was shocked at the amount of twigs and leaves that was in his hair. It took a long time just to clear out before I could even wash it! He winced when I pulled on a brambles on the underside of his hair. I clucked my tongue as I worked the stubborn thing out.

“That should be the last of it.” I smiled when my lover let out a relieved sigh. I run some clean water over his head again then grab a bottle of shampoo. As soon as my fingers press into Adrian's scalp, he lets out a moan as he melts into my touch. I felt smug that I could produce this reaction from my lover. I worked the suds further down his hair, enjoying the silky feel of the strands sliding around my fingers.

Once I had finished, the rogue reaper was slumped against the rim of the claw foot tub with his eyes just barely open. He reached out a hand to me, and I allowed the mad man to pull me into a kiss. He licked into my mouth with a satisfied sigh. I twined my arms around his neck as I enjoyed the contact. His tongue was distracting me from the vague feeling of his fingers tugging at my clothes. Adrian moved closer to me as I felt the tip of that warm muscle in my mouth tickle my palette.

I broke the kiss with a high pitched squeal when he lifted me to join him in the tub. I clung to his shoulders for a few minutes as I got my bearings back, but warm water had me relaxing soon enough. Adrian maneuvered me around so that my back was presented to him. He took the pitcher and began to wet my hair. I closed my eyes as he washed my hair. It was nice and something we never got to do very often.

I almost jumped when a soapy flannel stroked over my left shoulder. The silver haired man just shushed me as he ran the cloth all over my back. He pulled me flush against his chest so he could reach around to do my front. I was a bit self conscious about the changes my body had gone through as my pregnancy progressed. I half expected my lover to get frisky, but all he did was wash all the skin he could reach. The act seem to reassure him that I was here in his arms, and not locked away from his reach.

Once he was finished with his grooming, he just held me to his chest as he leaned us back. His hair had spilled back in the tub, and whorls of it surrounded us. A large hand reached around to cup the bottom of my belly, and his thumb stroked over the skin there. We sat in the water in silence until the liquid began to cool. The reaper lifted me out of the tub with him, and dried us both off.

“I hope someone had the decency to find us some clothes. I really don't want to put that thing back on.” I grumbled as I glowered at the pile of white and blue on the floor. Hands wrapped a towel around me and guided me out of the room. On the bed were three piles of clothes folded and waiting for us. I picked up a night shirt from one of the piles and slipped it over my head. I sat on the bed feeling as if the last shackles of my captivity had been finally severed.

Adrian had put on the sleep pants I saw under my shirt, and he took the other two piles and set them on one of the chairs in the room. He came back to stand I before me with an unreadable look in his eye. I meet his gaze with a small smile, but it soon withered away. I fisted my hands in the sheets as the silence became awkward. My lover showed his unease by shifting on his feet. I took a deep breath and finally brought up the subject that has been tormenting me ever since Christopher whispered in my ear.

“You know I have never pushed about your past. It's your story to tell, but I hope you have faith in me that nothing that you've done could make me see you differently. Others have brought it up numerous times, and frankly my patience is running out. I want you to tell me, but at the same time, I will not pry unless you allow me to. Remember when I said that?” Adrian nodded with a pained look on his face. Seeing it almost made hold my tongue, but we needed to have this talk.

“Adrian…” I licked my lips as I gathered my thoughts. “I want you to trust me. I have told you everything about me, and I want to know everything about you in return. I want to stay with you, raise our children with you, settle this mess with the Four Realms with you. When I was in the Grim Reaper Realm, that…that…lunatic began questioning me. It was then that I truly realized that I hardly know anything about you other then your time as a mortician. It's not a bad thing, but I can't help…” My lover took my hand as he interrupted my rambling.

“I know you have questions, Cal. There is much that I haven't told you, but I've had my reasons. You know this, right?” I bit my lip as I nodded. “Love…I will tell you everything you want to know, but I just got you back. Right now, all I want to do is hold you in my arms as I sleep. I'm ashamed to say I haven't been taking care of myself since you've been gone.” I gave my lover a narrowed eyed look that made him duck his head sheepishly. “Tomorrow…I'll tell you whatever you want to know.”

“You promise?” I asked as I looked into his face. I hated feeling this unsure about the man in front of me, but the dark whispers from my captor would not leave me alone. I bit my lip to keep from begging my lover to just get it over with. The damp strands were brushing over his cheek bones, and I pushed them out of his face. The reaper placed a kiss on the center of my forehead.

“Yes, I promise, love.” I hugged his neck as he crawled over me on the bed. My tiger settled us down, and pulled the covers over our bodies. I pillowed my head on his shoulder as his arms came around me and held like steel bands. One of his hands was covering the side of my belly with a possessiveness that warmed me down to my toes. I reached out and grabbed a lock of his hair, and brought my fist up under my chin. I put everything out of my mind as sleep came over me.

Tomorrow I'll understand everything. One way or another.


	12. Chapter 12

Cal POV

My eyes blinked open after a dreamless night full of slumber. I was still plastered to the side of my silver haired tiger with his arms caging me in. I nuzzled my face over his heart before I registered a heavy warmth over my legs. Lifting my head to take a peak, I smiled at the mound of red fur curled up near the foot of the bed. Fences must have come back in while we were sleeping. I settled back down onto the reaper's chest with a happy smile on my face. I was almost asleep again, but the twins decided it was time for breakfast.

I patted my belly as I slowly wiggled my way free from my bond partners. The wolf let out a soft growl that was more puppy like then anything as I slipped his head off my calf. I bit my lip to keep from snickering, but the sudden tightening from the former mortician made a squeak come out. Adrian and Fenrir jerked awake at the sound, looking around the room for an invisible threat. I shook my head knowing it would be some time before both males would be relaxed again. Luckily the grumble of my stomach made the situation quite clear.

“Hungry, kitten?” The reaper asked around a yawn. Another growl from my stomach answered his question, and the mad man let out a chuckle. He pulled me closer to him to press a kiss to my temple, and I felt his lips curled up into a smirk. Fenrir just huffed at the display and rolled his eyes as he curled back up into a ball and was snoring within seconds. Adrian let out a hum of amusement before he released me to change into a white button up shirt and black trousers. 

“Be right back.” He said with a wink. The silver haired man waltzed out of the room to track down some breakfast, and I hoped he wouldn't run into any trouble after his dramatic appearance last night. I blinked at that thought before I let out a quiet laugh. The only thing he was in danger from was a scolding from the tough reaper lady. All the others couldn't touch him, including my cousins.

I absentmindedly ran my fingers through Fenrir’s fur as I waited for the rogue reaper to come back. The wolf arched into my touch with a happy sigh. Amber eyes opened to show me a glazed look as I scratched behind triangular ears. The soft thumping of his tail had a faint smile curving my lips. I had felt a bit nervous when I remembered that Adrian was going to talk about when he came back, but the action of petting Fenrir helped keep me calm. I pulled him up to wrap my arms around his neck.

“He's going to talk about it today.” I got no reaction from the spirit other than a slightly sleepy growl. “I don't know if I really want to hear about it yet I know I shouldn't believe what Christopher told me, but what if he's right? What if I am nothing but a replacement?” Voicing my fears to my partner made me realize just how afraid I was of the truth, and tears pricked my eyes.

“What if you aren't a replacement? What if he was waiting for you? What if ducklings come out my ears? What if the sky turns pink and your nose falls off?” I pulled back to give the canine a perplexed look. He just licked my cheek. “There are many ways one can worry themselves over nothing, pup, but you need to stop running circles around in your head. Don't let fear and doubt control you.” I bit my lip as I considered his words. The wolf sighed and pulled out of my arms to look in my eyes.

“You trust your mate, yes?” I nodded without any hesitation. Fenrir gave me the wolf equivalent of a smile. “Good. Now, how do you know that mongrel wasn't deceiving you? He was trying to twist everything so you wouldn't have any faith left for you alpha. Do you really think that silver pup could do anything like what you truly fear?” I lowered my head in shame, but the wolf just followed my gaze as I tried to bring it down to my lap. Chewing on my lip, I shook my head to answer him. He let out another sigh.

“Pup, look at me.” I hesitated, but I looked at his face through the fringe of copper hair. “I have seen many pairs of mates in my life, and I have never seen anything like your alpha when he looks at you. Mate are the world to each other, true, but he looks like he couldn't survive one second without you. There is so much emotion in his eyes that it could fill seas. That pup would move the Heaven and Hell if you wished it. He is good for you, and you are for him. Don't let anyone tell you different.” His voice took on a firmer tone as he continued.

“I have been around that particular pup a long time. He has been one of Master’s favorite children since he came into being. I am familiar with the everything that happened to him during his days spent as a soul collector even the events he tried to hide. After I was sealed away, I tried to keep watching over some of the few that were still loyal to Master, and he was the easiest one to find. That pup has a ridiculous amount of power.” That last sentence was muttered.

“I don't think you have anything to worry about as long as you keep an open mind and really listen to him. I will not lie to you, pup. There will be things that will not be pleasant to hear. Like everyone that has existed for that length of time, he will have done things that may hurt you. Just keep in mind that your silver pup has nothing in his heart but love for you, and he would sooner slice his throat open then knowingly bring any harm to you.”

My eyes were wet and I hugged him again. Fenrir just nuzzles the side of my face. “It takes a lot to awe me, pup, but that young alpha has done so many times over. I don't think even Master could say anything negative about your mating after he sees how he takes care of you. If he tries to, I'll stuff his mouth full of his own feathers.” I let out a watery chuckle at the image that brought to mind.

“Thank you, Fenrir. What would I do without you, you big fur ball?” I whispered in his russet fur. The wolf stiffened in my arms, and he nudged at my shoulder with his muzzle. I pulled back to see his teeth just slightly bared with his ears slicked back along his skull. He wouldn't meet my eyes, and his fur looked a bit fluffier. Blinking just a bit, I giggled at his making Fenrir shuffle on his paws. “Don't worry! Your secret is safe with me! As far as anyone else is concerned, you’re a fierce companion, not a softy!”

I ruffled the fur on top of his head, and got a playful nip on my fingers in return. I let out a shriek like giggle and smushed his face a bit. I got a growl out of the wolf, and soon we were playing on the bed. I would tug at his tail and ears, while he batted at me with his paws or give me small nips. The spirit was whining like a puppy in play, and I giggled at this side of the canine. I was gently shoved back among the pillows by paws to my shoulder, and Fenrir took the opportunity to practically cover my face in licks.

“Fenrir! Stop it! Hahahaha! That tickles!” I managed to get out from between the long swipes of his tongue. He pulled back to give me a snicker and mouthed at my arm with the points of his sharp teeth only just denting the skin. He tugged my shield out of the way and pounced back to tickle my face with his licks and barely felt brush of his whiskers. I was laughing so much, that I missed the sound of the door opening back up again.

“What's this? Starting the fun without me?” Adrian's voice was just barely heard over the sound of my giggles. The silver haired man held a wooden dinner tray in his hands that has two steaming plates of food and two cups of what I sincerely hoped was tea. He looked amused at the sight of the wolf pinning me down on the bed, but Fenrir had a look of horror with his tongue still halfway out of his mouth. “You might want to close your mouth, fur ball.” My lover cackled as he set the tray on the chair closest to the bed.

I laughed when Fenrir pulled his tongue back and snapped his mouth shut with a snap of teeth. His golden eyes glared at the reaper, and he hopped off the bed and slicked underneath the piece of furniture. I wiped a tear from my eyes as my lover set a plate full of eggs, toast, and a fruit cup in front of me. I beamed up at the man as he settled down on the side of the bed with his own meal.

“How did you know I was craving mandarin oranges with dried cranberries and pineapples?” I asked as I took a large bite of the concoction. The silver haired mad man gave me his signature grin as he watched me clean my plate. The setting reminded me of the early days of our acquaintanceship, but I do miss those days watching him as he prettied up corpses and creeped out his clients. I just hoped we could go back to that one day.

“Oh, it was a lucky guess more then anything. I was prepared to run back to the kitchen and get you something else if it made you queasy.” I paused in my eating with the fork in my mouth. My eyes watered at his thoughtfulness, and I gave him a shy smile after I lowered my fork. I took the cup of tea in my hands and outright moaned at the taste of the warm liquid. This got me a raised eyebrow, but I just stuck my tongue out at the man.

We spent the rest of the meal in silence. The chartreuse eyes of the former mortician watched me very closely as I ate everything on my plate. The overprotectiveness of my lover was showing, and I pretended not to notice how his eyes roamed over every inch of me he could see. Once the tea and food was gone, my tiger gathered up the dishes and placed the tray just outside of the room. 

“Seth said he would take care of it. Apparently the entire crew of this base thinks we need time together.” I made a noise in the back of my throat in acknowledgement as I straightened the blankets covering my lap. The clicking of claws alerted me that Fenrir was coming out of his hiding place. He gave the man a glare where he stood by the door as he jumped up on the bed to lay down beside me with his head in my lap. Adrian just gave the wolf a bemused look, but he said nothing when it became apparent that Fenrir wasn't going to leave my side this time.

“Do you want me on the bed with you or…?” The reaper trailed off, and I motioned for him to sit beside my legs on the bed. There was a flash of relief as he moved to the spot. He pulled the section of his hair that was always in a braid and fiddled with the locks in a fit of nerves. I allowed him some time to gather his thoughts as the braid slowly took its rightful place back in that mass of silver.

“I wanted to tell you something before I begin. It has been a long time since anyone has gotten beyond the walls I have placed around my heart, and even then they did not come as close as you have. I have lived for a long time as you well know, so I'm sure some things will upset you. I want to apologize in advance for any and all hurt that will come up. I will not make any excuses for what I've done, but please remember that I had no way of knowing if I would have ever met you.” He begged me with his eyes to understand that.

“I understand, Adrian. We've only been together for almost two years at most. I would hope that you didn't have a lonely life before you met me. I’ll warn you now that I might overreact, but I'll do my best to remember that fact. I'm afraid that's the best I can promise,” I said with some reluctance. I wanted to promise the silver haired man that I wouldn't react in any negative way, but I would be lying.

Fenrir nudged my hand that had rested on his head. I glanced at him, and he gave me an approving look. I gave him a small smile in gratitude before I looked back over to my lover. His eyes were searched mine when our gazes locked. He held my eyes for what felt like hours before he looked away, satisfied with whatever he found. The reaper scrubbed his hands over his face and pushed his fringe back to merge with the rest of his hair.

My lips twitched when the shorter strands of his hair just flopped back down in his face. He gave a slight glare to the bits of hair, and I let out a small giggle. Adrian gave me a small smile at the sound, and rested his hand on my knee. I twined our fingers together and gave them a slight squeeze.

“It's always nice to start off a long story with laughter. I know it may seem strange to you, but I wanted to see you smile and laugh before I pull all my skeletons out of my closet, and I don't mean the ones I dance with.” I snickered more at the old joke and nodded my head in agreement. “Just…try not to hate me?” He asked in a small voice.

“What? I could never hate you! I love you!” I looked up at Adrian in alarm. He looked like a man getting ready to march to the gallows. I pulled his hand to rest over my heart and gave him a sweet kiss. Tears pricked at my eyes again for the twentieth time since I woke up. My free hand cupped his face as I pulled back. I pleaded with my eyes for him to understand my earlier words. He took a deep breath.

“I suppose the best place to start is at the beginning.”

 

A.N. Sorry! Couldn't resist one last tease! XD


	13. Chapter 13

A.N. This entire chapter is Undertaker talking about his life during his reaping days. I’m sorry for tormenting all of you with suspense! ^_^ 

Adrian POV 

I had always been a successful and very powerful soul collector. All of the souls I was sent out to collect, I brought back with little to no trouble. I did everything by the rules, and I took my job seriously. I held myself at at distance from the humans we watched over. I was an exceptional trainer for the younger grim reapers, and all my protégés were successful in their careers after their training was finished. 

William T. Spears is a prime example of my training methods.

After Zion was sealed away, most of the realm looked to me to lead instead of the Council. I never minded being looked to as a leader, but the majority of the realm was completely ignoring the Council that the master had set up, so I joined the elders to prevent an unnecessary power struggle. My fellow elders weren't pleased with my joining, but they had no authority to question my actions.

Year after year it was the same thing. Collecting souls, fighting demons, dealing with my jealous younger brother, getting annoyed with the hero worship in the Reaper Realm, making sure policies were fair for the lower reapers. Somehow, I feel into a rut that lasted for decades. During that time, everything seem to loose any specific meaning for me. The world had turned into dull place, and I felt chained to my responsibilities.

For awhile, things were somewhat peaceful. The demons were acting up when they couldn't get their contracted souls, but overall life hadn't changed too much. I still went out on assignments to collect the more challenging souls, but it was not as often as I liked. The Human Realm was like a breath of fresh air for me during that time. No one knew who I was, and I wasn't responsible for any major decisions.

One day I was walking along the Italian countryside in the Human Realm. Whenever I had free time, I would come here to relax and watch the humans. There was something about these creatures with a short life span that endeared themselves to me. I stumbled across a small house surrounded by vineyards. There was a tranquil atmosphere around the area, and I took up a perch on a very large tree.

The sound of children laughing brought a smile to my face. I watched two little girls and a little boy play through the grape vines. This place was like a balm to the weariness of my life back in my world. The parents were very kind people, and I witnessed several occasions where the father would go out of his way to help those in need. All five people held a purity within their hearts and soul that was not present in the common man.

The man of the house was a tall, stern looking man with chestnut hair and steel gray eyes, but he had kind smile when he showed it. His wife was a lovely blond haired woman with green eyes, and she was always smiling and laughing. The only son took after his father in looks, but his personality was closer to his mother’s. The eldest daughter had golden hair with silvery eyes and was a blossoming beauty in her own right.

The youngest child from this family held a special place in my heart. She had bright grayish blue eyes and red hair. She was the definition of a pure soul, and she held an inner light that she shared with the world. It was her that my eyes were drawn to the most out of this little family. When I see the sun shine off her hair or her eyes sparkle in happiness, I could feel my heart speed up. There was a quality to her soul that drew me in like a moth to a flame.

I found myself coming to this place every time I could escape the pressures of my position. I would sit on the highest branch that could support my weight, and I would observe the family. It was not too uncommon for humans to catch grim reapers’ attention, but close relationships are forbidden for the obvious reasons. Although, people watching was safe. I kept from interacting with the family, but one day, I was revealed.

I was taking a nap in my tree with the kids playing below me. I had just settled down after dealing with days of fighting at the Gates of Limbo, and I needed some peace away from all the yapping whining from the other elders. The innocent sound of pure happiness coming from below me just made something unclench inside my chest. The little redhead was laughing as her two older siblings chased her in the dappled light shining through the leaves.

A sudden shriek made me jerk awake. I looked through the leaves to see a hell hound stalking the three children a few meters away. The elder two were running back to the house, but the redhead had fallen behind her siblings. She tripped over a stray root and was flung to the ground. Her terrified face made my heart stop. The monstrous dog was quickly closing in on her, but I sprang in defense of the children. 

The demon dog paused when I appeared between him and his prey, but he launched at me with his drooling jaws wide open. It clamped down on the left sleeve of my coat. I quickly wrapped the coat around the slobbering beast with efficient moves. Once the hell hound was restrained, I heaved myself back on my feet. I was about to summon my death scythe to despatch the beast, but small arms wrapped around my leg stopped me.

A sudden shiver ran up my spine from where those tiny hands fisted in my pant leg. It was like something that was missing slotted into place, and my heart throbbed in my chest. I looked down at the small girl shivering as she looked up at me with those big, watery eyes. Her lower lip was just quivering making her just look so vulnerable when you took in the dirt smudged over her cheeks and white dress.

“Please, make it go away.” A melodious whisper came from the child. It made something clench uncomfortably in my chest, and I crouched down to scoop the girl up into my arms. She buried her wet face in my neck as I stood straight. After I transferred her meager weight to one arm, I destroyed the hell hound with just a flick of my wrist. It let out a howl as its body disintegrated into a pile of ash. I gave a forlorn look at my coat that was now ruined by demon blood, but a sniffle drew my attention back to the girl in my arms.

“Is…is it gone?” She whispered against my skin. The redhead girl had her hands fisted in my hair as well as the suit jacket I had on, but she refused to come out from her hiding place. I smoothed a hand over the top of her head in an effort to calm her down. I walked away from the remains of my coat and the pile of ash that was slowly being blown away by the gentle breeze.

“Yes, it's gone. You can come out now.” I told her in my softest voice. I sat down at the base of the tree that I was previously napping in. The child loosened her grasp on me, and slid down to sit on my lap. Her blue gray eyes peeked over her shoulder to look for the beast. When she didn't see the hound, her bright eyes came back to my face. She blinked at my appearance, but gave me a wide smile.

“You look pretty!” She exclaimed while she threw her hands in the air. I blinked at her statement in confusion. “Oh! I'm sorry. My brother told me that boys don't like being called pretty.” She had a small pout on her face as she stared at me in thought. My lips twitched in an attempt to smile at the adorably cuteness of her face. “You still look pretty,” The red haired girl said with an air of confidence. I chuckled at her as I shook my head.

“Thank you, little one. I think you're pretty too.” I got a smile out of the child that made my heart melt a bit. She tried to give me a hug, but her hands barely went around my shoulders. “I think I best get you back to your family.” I patted her on her back before I set her on her feet beside me. Once I was on my feet, the girl took ahold of my fingers and walked beside me. Her touch sent sparks up my spine, and I gave a mental kick.

She is just a child, but something about her that made me feel complete. Like she was something that I physically needed to have in my life. I studied the child out of the corner of my eye. She skipped along beside me with a smile on her face looking like nothing had happened. She looked up at me with a smile that I found myself returning without thought. 

It was a shame I had to wipe her memory of this encounter.

“What's your name?” Her voice cut through my thoughts, bringing my full attention to her. Her head was tilted as she looked at me curiously. I was startled for just a moment. No one had ever looked at me like that before. I had gotten looks of fear, respect, envy, resignation, and sadness. Not once was I looked at with curiosity or happiness. “My name is Tisha. Tell me your name so we can be friends.” I answered her without hesitation not at all able to argue with her childish logic.

“Theodore Warren. But just call me Theo.” That little girl beamed up at me, and hugged my leg tightly. I stumbled a bit at the sudden move, but I couldn't find it in me to be even the slightest annoyed with the girl. She giggled as she let me go, and Tisha took off to run around me in circles. My hand was grabbed again, and she pulled on it to get me moving. I followed after her with another amused chuckle over her antics.

That was the first time I met Tisha and her family. Her parents were grateful with me saving her life, and the way all five of those humans treated me made me hesitate in erasing their memories. I just didn't have it in me to make those looks vanish. It was something that I wanted to hold on to. My unusual appearance was overlooked by the family and they invited me to come back to their home again in the future. Tisha was especially adamant that I come back. 

So, I became a guardian to that family. It was nice spending time with a real family. I never got the chance to see the connection people can share with one another, and I soaked up the experience like a sponge. Whenever I came by, that small family welcomed me with open arms, and it always threw me off a bit. I was use to strict rules and regulations, but the laid back atmosphere of this place was slowly changing my perception of life.

Tisha was glued to my side every time I came by. She taught me to laugh, and look on the bright side of life. Color began to come into the dull gray that was my everyday life, and I craved to bask in the red haired girl’s presence. Her smile shined like a ray of sunlight that made my heart pound every time it was directed at me. I waited with anticipation for the youngest child of the vineyard farmer to grow into a beautiful young woman.

As the years passed, my feelings for Tisha did not diminish. They grew into a firestorm that blazed within my heart. When she came of age, the redhead began to look at me differently. The redhead was not spending as much time around me as she use to, and she had a pained look on her beautiful face when we were together. I was saddened by the distance that was growing between us.

Her parents noticed her watching me one day, and called me over to speak with them that night. They wanted to know my feeling for the bright eyed young woman that was the apple of their eye. When I told them I suspected that she was my true soulmate, they rejoiced, and I looked at the pair in bafflement.

I would be the first to admit, that I wasn't expecting that particular reaction. By now, all of the family knew I wasn't human, and I thought her parents wouldn't approve of their youngest daughter entering into a relationship with someone like me. I viewed myself in a negative light compared to the bright radiance of their pure souls. I had snuffed out countless lives. Granted it was my job, but my hands had been bloodied. I wasn't worthy of love in my opinion.

The mother was the first to notice my confusion, so she gently took my hands and smiled at me. She told me to find her daughter, and talk to her about what we each felt for the other. She also said that whatever decision we reached, that the whole family would support it. I blinked away my shock and set out to look for Tisha. I found her underneath the tree that I had observed the family for years.

I sat down next to her in silence. She kept gazing up at the moon without turning in my direction at all, but I kept her company until she was ready to talk. I leaned back on the grass with my hands behind my head as I peered up at the stars through the leaves. Tisha stretched her legs out beside me, and twirled a lock of my hair around her finger in thought. I was content for the moment when she took a deep breath.

“Theo, can two people who are completely different every be together?” I craned my head to look at the red haired woman, but her eyes were still on the moon. 

“I use to think not, little one, but sometimes they can. It depends on the circumstances in my opinion,” I answered her honestly. She finally looked at me with tears swimming in her eyes. I quickly sat up, and took her into my arms. She came with no resistance, and it made a sliver of pleasure glow in my heart.

“Where I come from, we don't die. We just continue to exist year after year with no end in sight. Grim reapers are the essence of death itself, so we can't really mix with humans.” I felt her hands clench into fists as I spoke. There was a dampness growing on my shirt, but I payed no mind. “If a reaper were to become involved with a human, pain and heartache is the only outcome of a relationship like that. Humans age and die while reapers stay the same. Resentment would grow, until death would take the human. Then the reaper is left as an empty shell.

“However, when it comes to soulmate…well that's a different story. A grim reaper's soulmate would share in the life span of the reaper whither they are mortal or immortal. I have been alive for a long time, Tisha. I only know of one couple that was a human/reaper soul pair. Until today that is.” I took a deep breath to steady myself. I hooked a finger under the redhead's chin so I could look in her eyes.

They sparkled with unshed tears, and she looked so hopeful that I felt pain lance through my chest. I leaned down to kiss her tears away before I melded my mouth with her’s. She kissed me back with everything she felt for me, and I felt a sting in my eyes at the emotion of the moment. When we finally broke apart, Tisha had the most brilliant smile I had ever seen on her. She flung herself at me, and we spent the rest of the night whispering sweet words with each other.

After that, Tisha and I wedded. She stayed with her parents to help with the vineyard while I went about my job. Her sister and brother both had married and had children that I doted on with glee. Tisha and I soon began to expect a new addition as well, and I when I found out, I cried tears of joy. My wife was very cheeky about that situation, but I couldn't stay mad at her for too long.

Those were the happiest days of my existence, but sadly, they came to an end.

Christopher, my younger brother, had found out about Tisha and her family at some point, but he had left it alone. He must've thought the encounter was harmless as all reapers go through a phase where humans enchant them. That is until, the red haired woman began to show her pregnancy. I never found out why he did what he did, but he informed the Council about the situation. 

Looking back now, I should have marked her as my mate, but Tisha never wanted me to. Every time I brought it up, she would just give me a sad smile that I never really understood. I always wondered that if I had marked her, the elders wouldn't have come after her like they did.

I had been assigned along list of souls to collect one day, and I was happy to go gather them. It was a little unusual for me to have such a long list, but it got me out of the council room so I didn't suspect a thing. I had just finished reaping the last soul when a bad feeling squeezed my heart. I raced back to the vineyard to find the house up in flames. After watching the flames dance in the wind for a few minutes, I ran into the house calling out for my beloved.

Tisha was laying on the bed with her hands holding her swollen belly. Blood was seeping though her fingers, and a pained look was on her face. Not wasting any time, I gathered her up and fought to get her outside of the fire. I stumbled out of the burning building just as it collapsed under its own weight. The redhead coughed weakly in my arms and I looked over her with a sense of helplessness.

She had burn marks all over her arms and legs, where she held her stomach had been stabbed multiple times by what looked like a death scythe, blood was dribbling out her mouth, and she had tears running down her face. I laid her down gently on the grass with my hands hovering over her trying to tend to the worst of her wounds, but she grabbed my wrist. I looked back up at her with my eyes overflowing with sadness. She shook her head slowly.

“It's too late…he…said that if…you hadn't come here…they would still…be alive…He wants you…to…suffer.” She closed her eyes as more tears trickled out from behind her eyelids. I jerked my head up to see the other houses where Tisha’s siblings lived were also on fire. I felt my heart break over the senseless violence. “He…wanted me to tell…you that…it's all…your fault, but I…don't believe that for a second.” Her voice was coming out weaker then before, and I pressed a hand over her's to try and stem the bleeding.

“Don't speak. Try and save your strength, Tisha. I'll save you!” I nearly shouted as I tried to send my energy into her broken body. “I won't let you die!” Tisha gave me a weak smile as she shook her head. Tisha brought my hands away from her wounds. She tried to move my hands around her, but she was too weak. I lifted her upper body up at rest against my chest. She let out a sigh as she gave my hand a weak squeeze. I leaned over her as rain began to fall from the sky.

“Please don't leave me. I love you.” I whispered in her blood soaked hair. The rain was causing the fire to steam and fizzle, but I only had eyes for the woman in my arms. She shakily lifted one of her hands to rest it on my cheek. I held it against my face as she still smiled sweetly at me. Her thumb brushed away the tears and I pressed a kiss to her palm. Tisha struggled to breathe as another wet cough brought more blood to her lips.

“It's not…your fault. Please….rem…remember that.” Her eyes were closing, but she forced them open again. “Promise…me…you'll never…stop laughing. Keep…smiling…and…look for…happiness.” She let out a pain filled grunt as she tried to speak more. “I…know…that I'm not…the right…one for…you…don't deny…it. You knew…it…all along. Sh…she’s yet…to be…born…but she's…out there…. You must…must wait…for…her…. You…better not…miss her…because of…because of me.” Tisha smiled, and I gave her a smile in return.

“I promise,” was all I could say. I tighten my hold around her shoulders and on her hands that was quicker loosing strength. I took a shaky breath and kissed her forehead. “I'll wait until the end of time itself.” My words made her smile wider, and she closed her eyes again. I caught her last words before the rain drowned them out.

“I…love…you…”

I stared at her unmoving form as her hand went slack and slipped out from under mine. The rain had washed most of the blood off of her body and had taken her warmth away as well. I just kneeled there frozen as her soul vanished. I lifted her body up and dug a small grave under the tree that had miraculously survived the whole ordeal. After I put her to rest, I stood under the pouring rain. I wasn't sure wither the dampness on my face was from the rain or my tears, but I paid it no mind. 

A sudden rage overcame me at that moment making my hair float despite the weight it had gathered from the rain. I gritted my teeth, and flung my right arm out parallel to the ground. The familiar sensation brought just a small bit of comfort as my death scythe materialized in my outstretched hand. I knew who I needed to hunt down, and I ripped open a portal to bring me back to the Grim Reaper Realm. I set out with murder in my eyes.

I kicked the doors down as soon as I got the chambers where the other elders were sure to be. I was so livid that I don't really remember the fight. It was a jumble of dodging and slashing, but I vividly remember the look of hatred on my brother's face after I had injured the other elders. They could no longer go against me, but they had wounded me as well. I glared at my brother as we faced off.

“What did she EVER do to you!? Why did you kill her!?” I screamed at the darker haired man, but he refused to answer. We charged at each other with both scythes out to kill. I ended up scoring a deep wound over his face, and he managed to give one right back to me. Over and over our weapons clashed causing sparks to flare up. I was still stronger then Christopher, but he wasn't as injured as I was. I glared at him through the blood coming from over my eyes as rage threatened to overwhelm me.

I often thought that if it weren't for the commotion coming from the halls, we would have fought til the death. I managed to escape from the Grim Reaper Realm without anymore interfaces. I would have massacred any resistance in my path at that point, but I still had some rational thought. After releasing my power as a warning against the Council following me, I left out of one of the secret paths out of the realm. 

When everything was clear from the haze of my rage, everything hurt. I had multiple wounds from other death scythes, but I still had my silver skeleton scythe in my hand. I patched myself up and went on the run to keep from being killed by less powerful reapers until I had regained my strength back.

In the end, I settled down in London for the longest time. I took up the profession of an undertaker to keep other humans from getting too close. Time went on, and the physical and mental wounds from that night turned into scars that ached every now and then, but I held to my promise. I kept a smile on my face, and I looked for things to keep me laughing until the woman Tisha told me about came into my life. I had just about given up hope when I felt a disturbance near the grave I had just finished digging.

There, under a tree, sat a pure soul with copper hair and bright blue eyes. As soon as I looked at her, I knew that Tisha had been right all along.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry if this seems a bit choppy. I had a case of writer's block that kept me stumped for overa week!

Cal’s POV

I blinked tears back from my eyes after Adrian had finished his tale. I launched myself in his arms with a sob. I got a look of panic from the reaper as he caught me, but I just buried my face in his chest. His arms were hesitant to hold me, but he just let me cry all over him. I heard a huff from behind me and the clicking of claws as Fenrir left the two of us for some well deserved privacy.

“Why are you crying, kitten?” The silver haired man asked when we were alone. “Come now. It breaks my old heart to see you so sad.” The words made me remember the first night he held my like this, and I cried harder. Gentle hands ran through my hair and over my back as I tried to pull myself together enough to talk with my lover. I concentrated on the loving way he held me against his chest, and I found breathing easier.

“I'm not mad.” Was the first thing out of my mouth. “I just hurt over all the pain you must have felt.” I tightened my hold around his chest. “I don't blame you one bit for not bringing that up. I can't believe I doubted you for one second. Can you ever forgive me for that?” I lifted my head to look in his bewildered expression. The reaper looked so confused as he took in my words. I bit my lip and was prepared to hid my face back in his chest when he cupped the side of my face.

“Love, while I'm happy you're not mad at me, could you clarify that last part? Why do you need me to forgive you? You've done nothing wrong.” He was so earnest that I felt a bit foolish that I was so easily manipulated. Adrian gathered me up in his arms as he moved to sit more securely on the bed. I chewed on my lower lip to stall in my response, but long fingers pulled my lip from between my teeth.

“I wondered if I was just a replacement for her.” I finally admitted, and a huge weight lifted off my shoulders as my feelings began to pour out of me. “At first I was curious when someone brought up your past, but I didn't want to push. You would tell me when you felt ready. I tried to put it out of my mind, but Christopher brought it up.” I noticed that the mad man tensed when I said that name, but I couldn't hold my words back.

“He began to tell me his version of the story, but I screamed at him. After he left…I started to wonder about why you never told me. Before I knew it, I was wondering if you were ever going to tell me at all. When Ronald got us out of the tower, that lunatic said that I was just a replacement for the family you lost. I hated myself for thinking it for one second, but I questioned myself if it was true.

“I had been separated from you, and I felt so lost. In my heart, I know you love me for me, but my head was rattling around with questions that only produced more questions. My head drowned out the truth I knew in my heart, and I was afraid to see you. I'm so sorry, Adrian.” By now my tears had started back up as I searched the silver haired man’s face for a reaction, but I didn't expect him to surge forward and kiss the living day lights out of me.

The reaper had covered my cheeks with his hands and brushed all the tears away as he poured his soul into our kiss. I submitted under his onslaught. He pulled away just as my lungs began to scream for oxygen. I slowly opened my eyes to meet the chartreuse eyes of my tiger. The gaze was so intense that I felt like he was looking straight into my soul. I couldn't look away even if I wanted to. He licked his lips and I felt my cheeks burn under his fingers. 

“Never think that you are a replacement,” He whispered in a harsh voice. “You…you are my everything. My very reason for living. When I lost Tisha, I thought that was the ultimate form of suffering.” He paused to rest his forehead against mine while still keeping our eyes locked with each other. “I had never been so mistaken. When you were stolen from my side…that was true agony. The pain of loosing Tisha was a mere drop compared to the ocean of pain at being cut from you.”

My eyes shed a couple more tears, but my lips lifted in a smile. I gave him another kiss that had his hands sliding down from my face to curl around my back. The other hand covered the side of my stomach that just added another layer of tenderness to the moment. The gentle motions of his fingers caressing over my baby bump sent shivers down my spine, and I felt the seam of his lips curve into a smirk.

I broke the kiss to snuggle down in my tiger's arms in contentment. All the sadness had vanished from the room, but a tug to my hair made me look back up into the scared face of my mate. The smirk on his face had turned mischievous, and my smile dropped a bit in confusion. Adrian chuckled as he leaned down to nip at the shell of my ear. I bunched a shoulder to protect myself, but he just nipped harder in response.

“Angel, I do forgive you for doubting me, but there will be punishment later.” The dark voice made another shiver run down my spine. The silver haired man moved to give my lips a nip to keep me from speaking. “It's not nice to question your worth to me. I think you need a lesson so you won't ever forget. Does that sound like fun, kitten?” The blush on my face had grown to cover the tips of my ears as I looked at the man in astonishment.

“Of course, the punishment and lessons will be after you deliver our children. I might get carried away. After all, it's been almost half a year since I've had you last.” His words brought a squeak out of me. “But we'll talk about that at another time. Right now, I need you to know that Tisha was right. She knew that she wasn't my mate, you are.” He looked at me seriously, and I felt the warmth of my cheeks slowly cooling off.

“She had a way knowing things, and it still boggles my mind that she knew about you. After I met you, I wondered how she could've known that a woman almost a thousand years younger then her was my true soulmate, but now I'm just grateful that she was right. She prevented the pain of not being able to join with you.” He hugged me tight to his chest, and I felt a bit choked up. I nuzzled my face over his heart in lack of a verbal response.

Tisha must have been a truly selfless soul. I felt a bit of guilty gratefulness over her death as I held on tight to Adrian's mortician robes. I don't think I could've let the silver haired reaper go like she did. I know I'm too selfish to give him up. I closed my eyes and sent a prayer to thank her and I made a vow to keep this man as happy as I could for the rest of my days. I only hope she finds happiness wherever her soul is.

A kick from one of the twins brought me back to the present. The black clawed hand froze over the spot immediately. I looked up at Adrian's face as the baby kicked more. The other twin began to kick as well, making me wince a bit in discomfort. The silver haired rogue stared down in amazement as both twins moved and stretched under my skin. They must be getting cramped in there. 

“They never moved this much before,” I said as the hand covering my belly moved to feel movements. “They must know that their Daddy's here.” I smiled up at the reaper. The fingers on my stomach trembled as they touched every inch of the twins current home. I covered the hand with mine and threaded our fingers together. A drop of water landed on my hand, and I looked up in surprise to see a tear sliding down from green eyes.

I smiled at my lover and leaned up to kiss him. He took a deep shuddering breath as I guided his hand around so he could feel both of his children saying hello. The hands under mine would stop moving when a stronger kick was felt, and every time it happened, Adrian's fingers would flex in response. I found the entire thing adorable as his smile grew wider and wider. It was a look that I wanted to take a picture of the excitement on the reaper's face.

I closed my eyes after a yawn escaped me. I allowed my head to rest over the mad man’s heart as I dozed in my lover's arms. I felt more at peace with myself then ever before, and I gave the hand under mine a brief squeeze. After what felt like a long time, I became more aware of the sounds around me. There was a murmuring that came from above me and a gentle stroking over my stomach.

“Hello, little ones. I'm sorry I haven't had the chance to talk to you until now, but Daddy's here now. I can't wait to finally see you. Your mommy has been hard at work keeping you safe, but now she can rest. Did you know your mommy is the most beautiful woman in the world? Well, she is. I hope you take after her in appearance…well…I do hope one of you inherits my hair color, but don't tell Mommy!” He gave a little chuckle over that.

“Now, I know you can't help it, but try to be gentle on your mother. She only has so much room in there for you, so try not to stretch so much. Don't worry, she's not mad at you two, but I'm sure it does cause some discomfort when you two wriggle around so much. Daddy loves it though. Yes, I do. It lets me know both of you are strong and healthy. Right now I'm a little jealous that Mommy gets to keep you all to herself, but after you're born, I'll get to hold you!

“I hope Mommy won't mind if I don't give either of you back right away.” A thump is timed almost like a response. “Yeah, I think so too. Mommy won't mind.” I was lowered to the bed, and the sound of fabric sliding against fabric was heard. Adrian shimmied down the bed so that he was almost eye level with my belly. I had to resist the urge to squirm in embarrassment as he continued to talk to our children.

“I never thought I would be a father again.” The reaper spoke seriously now. “I never thought I would find my mate in all honesty, but your mother just loves to prove me wrong. Don't know how she does it, but I've never been happier. Oh dear…are both of you girls? I'm not sure I could handle if all three of you ganged up on me. Oh! And the boys that'll come after you if you're girls. I'll need to keep my death scythe handy for sure.” He grumbled the last part out like any overprotective father.

His voice was slowly calming the twins down, and I bit my lip as I barely opened my eyes to watch him talk. The former mortician’s expression ranged from blissfully happy, slightly irritated, deeply confused, vaguely hopeful, and fiercely protective. I bit my lip several times to keep my laughter from disturbing the bonding Adrian was experiencing. Although I couldn't help a few twitches that made him quiet down.

“When this whole mess is over, all of us will go home. I'm not quite sure where that will be, but it'll be just the four of us. Oh! Five I mean. Fenrir wouldn't be too happy if I forgot about him, but we will find a place to call home. I hope it'll be in the human realm. Everything here is just so much better then anywhere else I've been to. I wonder if your mommy will be open to traveling around until we find the perfect place…” His voice trailed off as he settled heavily next to my side.

I waited for a few minutes to see if he would talk some more, but the sound of deep, even breathing announced that the reaper had fallen asleep. I slowly moved to prop myself up to observe my lover. The poor man looked absolutely exhausted. I remember Ronald telling me that Adrian wasn't taking very good care of himself while he was alone. Looking at his face, I could see that the younger man wasn't lying.

I ran my fingers through the silver mane, and the man used his arm around my thighs to pull me closer to his body. I smiled at my tiger as he rested. His fringe had covered most of his face, except for his left eye. The scar running over his pale skin made me truly realize that my lover was strong. I gently ran my finger over the mark, thinking about what all he had to overcome to reach this point.

“Mmmm…” Adrian's lips opened to murmur as he shifted on the bed, and I pulled my hand away so he could sleep undisturbed. I picked up the braid in his hair and brought it closer to me. I wrapped the shinning plait over my fingers, forming different patterns, but I noticed that it was shorter then it use to be. Looking over the braid again, I saw that the lock of silver in my locket had come from this. The braid was just something I always held onto if it was within grabbing distance.

He must've felt like it would make me feel better if I had just a small piece of it. I felt my heart warm all over as I looked back over to his relaxed profile. I moved his bangs out from in front of his face. He had a small smile on his face as he pulled me closer again. I huffed with fond annoyance that often came when Adrian would do something possessive like this. I rubbed my hand over the swell of our children and whispered.

“Daddy is a worrier. You'll find that out not long after you get here. I've done my best to keep him from stressing too much, but now it's going to take all three of us. We need to show Daddy that we love him everyday from now on.” He stirred a bit before settling back down into a deeper sleep. I reached down to squeeze his hands. “Do you think we can do that?” I waited for a response, and a kick was my answer.

“Yeah, we will take good care of you, Daddy.” I whispered to the sleeping man.


	15. Chapter 15

Cal POV

The next day had Adrian looking much better after a good night’s sleep. He was back to his eccentric self, and I was laughing and smiling just about every time he opened his mouth. The only thing that made me pause was the way his eyes tracked every move I made. My lover refused to let me out of his sight for more then a couple of minutes, and he was clinging to me even more then when we bonded. I knew it was due to the separation we experienced, but I was becoming very annoyed with the lack of breathing room.

Isabella and three other reapers came into the room after breakfast, all of them had bandages on various body parts that came from when the mad man broke into the bunkers his single minded pursuit for me. The white haired woman lectured the elder man over the incident, but he just gathered me in his lap with a impudent glare on his face as he cuddled me. I gave the poor female reaper an apologetic look that had her huffing.

“I expected better from you! You are over six hundred years older then me, you moron! Was it really necessary for you to destroy part of my work place!? You know we can't afford for the Hunters to find us! It's hard enough hiding six wanted reapers and two nephilim without you announcing our location!” Isabelle ran a hand through her ponytail before settling both of the on her hips. She glared harder at the rogue reaper over my head. “You are worse then a two year old when you throw a temper tantrum! I distinctly remember you always telling me to think before I act!

“Have you gotten so old you've forgotten what you taught?! Lucas is still unconscious from when you came rampaging in here! And the damage to the walls and doors! I expect you to clean everything up! Don't give me that look, old man! She's not going to save you from your punishment!” Isabelle’s hand reached out to cuff Adrian on the back of the head. The silver haired man gave her a growl, but she ignored the intimidating sound. She even had the gall to roll her eyes at the man.

“I'd like to see how sane you are when you're mate was taken away, Izzy. You better be thankful that I didn't kill anyone when I got here,” My tiger growled out. He pulled me flush against his chest with his legs and arms around me. “It was just a few small injuries and a busted door. Nothing to get so worked up about. I thought I was very restrained.” He tacked on with a dismissive tone to his voice. I caught a wince from the male reaper with lavender silver hair, and I resisted the urge to bury my face in my hands.

“Restrained…restrained? You call that restrained!? Our bulkhead door was broken off its hinges and crumpled like tissue paper and is now halfway through the base from where it use to be! There are holds the size of wagons in our walls! Only one of my people managed to escape from you unharmed, and he's treating the others that can't walk!” Isabelle was pacing in front of us with anger covering her delicate features. “Seth is working himself to death healing everyone you encountered!”

I twisted my head to give my lover a glare, but he just ignored me. I narrowed my eyes further at the man as I buried an elbow into his ribs. The silver haired man grunted and bowed over me just a bit as he covered the tender spot from other attacks. I could still hear the female reaper muttering under her breath over insane men and their tendency to overreact over every little thing. Adrian gave me a wounded look once me met my eyes.

“Apologize,” I ordered my lover with steel in my tone. The former mortician wrinkled his nose in distaste over the thought. “Say you're sorry to the poor woman. She's been kind enough to shelter us here! The least you could do is apologize and help clean up the mess you made!” I glared harder at my lover, and he lowered his eyes from mine. I could've sworn I caught the smallest of smiles on his face, but it was soon gone as he finally apologized.

Isabelle was still not too happy, but she accepted it nonetheless. The male soul collectors in the room gazed at me in awe. They must've expected this argument to end in bloodshed. The white haired reaper gave me a grateful look once Adrian's attention was back on cuddling me to an inch of my life. Isabelle reached out and grabbed one of my lover's ears in a tight hold and pulled him off the bed. Adrian snarled as the female pulled him along behind her.

“No time like the present, old man! The sooner you clean up, the sooner you can come back to your mate. I'm sure she like a few minutes to herself without you attached to her.” I smiled at the two light haired reapers as they went out the door. Isabelle had an amused tone as she pulled a snarling Adrian after her. The others soon filed out after them to see the Legendary Grim Reaper treated like a misbehaving child.

A familiar chuckle brought my attention to a limping blond that slowly entered the room. My eyes lit up to see Ronald sag into a comfortable chair close to the bed. He was pale, but otherwise looked to be in fairly good shape. There was a bandage around his head that held most of his blond locks out of his eyes, and he was moving gingerly. The slash on his back must be giving him a world of pain.

“It's nice to see that there are people that can put that crazy old man in his place.” I met the young man’s cocky grin with one of my own. “He is such a terror.” Ronald groaned out as he finally found a position that didn't hurt him. “Don't even get me started on the mood swings. He would be friendly then homicidal the next moment. But dodging his attacks did provide good training with my death scythe. How are ya holding up, ginger snap?”

“As well as can be expected I guess. I'm just so happy to be free from that hellhole.” I shuddered at the memory of that place. “It's hard readjusting with my powers back, but I'm getting there. The kids are restless, and I feel unlike myself sometimes.” He gave me a thoughtful hum in response. It was silent for a few minutes, but I found myself talking quietly without any real thought. “Adrian's talked about his past with me last night.”

“Yeah? Took the lunatic long enough. How’d that go?” The young reaper pushed up his glasses a bit to look at me better. I still wasn't completely sure how I felt about the whole thing. I did know that I wasn't mad at Adrian, but I did feel some type of emotion that I couldn't identify. I was a bit hesitant to talk about something this deep with someone other then my lover or my weapon partner, but perhaps the blond would provide a new perspective on things.

“I'm not mad over what he did or why it took so long for him to tell me. I can understand why he wouldn't want to bring it up if remembering those events causes him pain. I feel horrible about doubting his feelings for me. Guilty about feeling happy over the death of his former wife. I hurt over everything he's been through over the years.” I wrapped my arms around one of the pillows and crushed it against me as words kept coming.

“I'm mad at Christopher playing on the insecurities of the blocked bond. I'm mad at him for causing Adrian so much pain. I'm mad at the rest of those old bastards for doing everything they could to gain more control over the Reaper Realm. And I'm mad at fate for making him suffer so much for so long!” I buried my face in the pillow to hide tears of frustration and sorrow. I clenched my hands in the plushy softness as the sounds of my muffled sobs made their way though the barrier over my face.

“There's nothing to feel bad about. Everything that has happened is already done with. It's over.” A hand was gently pulling one of my arms from around my pillow. I followed the bandage arm up to look into duel iris eyes. “It's normal for you to feel that way. The old man is your mate. It natural to be possessive of him. Just look at how he treats you!” He smiled at me as he maneuver to look at my eyes more easily. I found myself giving him a watery smile and return as my tears slowly dried up.

“You are not a bad person for feeling like you feel. Just remember one thing. He is your mate now, and I have never seen someone who loves so passionately like he does. Just let your emotions run their course and things will look a lot brighter.” I was pulled into a one armed hug with the blond’s arm over my shoulders. I soaked up the affection like a sponge before Ronald finally let me go. We sat there for just a second while I brushed the wetness off my cheeks.

“Did he really just get lectured by Isabelle?” The reaper asked me in faint disbelief. I blinked for a few seconds before I busted out in a torrent of giggles. Ronald gave me a smirk as he joined me with his own chuckles. I replayed the image in my mind with Adrian sulking like a child while the fierce female chewed him out for his rampage through the area. 

“Kitten, are you laughing at my expense?” A chastised voice came from the door to my room. When I looked up at my lover, I busted out into giggles again. Ronald was roaring in laughter as well as he held onto the chair to keep from sliding into the floor. “Now that's just rude, kitten.” The tall man grumbled from his place by the door. I took deep breaths and bit the tip of my tongue to keep from laughing at the reaper's appearance.

Adrian was completely covered in a grayish dust that made him look like a ghost. Isabelle must've wrestled his mass of hair up into a high tail, and the tips of his ears were red from where the female reaper grabbed him. He glared at the floor in embarrassment as his cheeks took on a hue to match his ears. After Ronald looked over the man again and laughed some more, the silver haired man huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Watch it, reaperling. I can still put you in your place without trying.” While harsh, his words hardly had any real heat in them. The blond was slow to sober, but he finally got himself under control. “Hn. Better, but next time I'll drag you out to do some sparing.” That threat was real, and made the younger man pale for just a split second as he quickly nodded in agreement. Satisfied that his dignity was still somewhat salvageable, the mad man made his way over to the bathroom.

“Well, that's my cue to leave.” The younger man was quick to get on his feet. He looked over his shoulder at me as he hobbled over to the door. “Remember what I said, ginger. If you ever need an ear, let me know. Try not to bottle it all inside so much, kay?” He gave me his trademark grin as I nodded in agreement. He waved as he closed the door behind him, and I was alone in the room once again.

Adrian was quick to get done with his bath, and soon I had a lap full of starlight hair. My lover had climbed onto the bed and rested his head on one of my thighs. I ran my fingers through his damp hair as he melted into the bed at my touch. His mane covered the majority of the bed in swirls of different brightnesses in the silver. I examined a thick lock up close to see some almost pure white strands mixed in with pure silver and chrome colors. I let the hair go to resume my petting.

“That woman is so demanding.” He muttered close to my hip. “She was never like this when I trained her.” I cocked my head to the side as he sighed. My eyes roamed over his face and bare chest. He had come out in a pair of flannel sleep pants that I vaguely wondered where they came from. He quickly took ahold of one of my hands and pressed a kiss to the inside of my wrist where the cut from Christopher's death scythe scarred over. 

“I find it hard to feel sorry for you when you did cause mild destruction to Isabelle’s property. If you made the mess, you clean it up. I only cleaned your shop out of boredom that time.” Adrian pouted at me over the lack of sympathy in my voice. I snickered at the expression on his face, and got a satisfied smile in return. “Cheer up, tiger. I'm sure this is only temporary.” I bit my lip after that statement. “It is temporary, right? We won't be on the run forever, will we?” 

A sharp gaze from chartreuse eyes looked up through silver fringe at me. The hand holding mine was tightened as the reaper thought in silence. I watched several expressions flicker rapidly over his face until it settled on a stern look of determination. The former mortician rolled on his side to face me and propped his upper body on an elbow. He cupped my cheek with a large hand, and I leaned into the tender touch.

“No. This isn't going to be our way of life forever.” I looked through my lashes to meet his gaze. His eyes had a fire dancing in them that made him look so much more…intense. I easily believed he could accomplish anything with that level of motivation. “I will put an end to this mess soon. I will march straight into the Reaper Realm and do what I should've done hundreds of years ago. We will cut the rot out from the healthy tissue, and restore the Grim Reapers to their original purpose. I swear it to you.”

I felt the strength coiled under that deceptively lean frame, and I knew he would deliver on his vow. I nodded without looking away from his eyes, and I was rewarded with a savage smile full of dark promise. He sat the rest of the way up as he pulled me to his chest. I encircled his torso with my arms as I nuzzled my head over his heart. 

“Christopher and the elders will pay for what they've done to you. What HE tried to do to you. I will only wait long enough until you give birth to our children, and then I will gather the army I have built in your name. When the dust settles and the last blade has fallen, I will bring your enemies before you so you can give your final judgment. For you, my lady, are the ruler of us all.” I felt heat flare in my blood over his formal words, and I matched his bloodthirsty smile.

“Then, my champion, I will await the day.”


	16. Chapter 16

Cal POV

I was finally allowed out of bed, and if I could, I would have leapt for joy once my darker haired cousin informed me. Seth and Shawn had dragged me out of the room in the healing ward of the underground base Isabelle had established to take me on a tour, and to show me where I could sleep now that I was healed. The white haired woman had come in with the twins, and dragged my lover by the ear to help with rebuilding the walls he destroyed a few days ago.

Both red heads were still snickering over seeing the big bad reaper being treated like a child, but I knew he would get everyone back before the end of our stay here. In all honesty, I was shocked that he is still being so compliant with everybody here. Although, I just hoped he'll prank them instead of fighting. I was certain that I caught a calculating gleam in his eyes when he past the two halflings this time, and a sense of foreboding came over me. 

“Here is another prime view of art!” The lighter redhead sarcastically gestured to a plain white wall after we turned the corner. Seth and Shawn had escorted me all over the place with its white walls and almost military atmosphere. I finally understood what the twins meant when they said that this place was dull. I suppose that while Isabelle and her other reapers were deserters, they still kept to some of the traditional workplace for soul collectors.

“We know, little brother. Everyone lacks your imagination.” Seth rolled his eyes at his twin’s antics. He looked down at me as we made our way to the center of the bunker. “The first week we got here, Shawn thought it would be nice to add some color. At first, I was in agreement to his opinion. The place around here could use a little bit of color. White does go old very quickly, but I should’ve known better.” 

“Hey! It was a brilliant idea, and you know it!” Shawn shouted as he came up on my other side. He crossed his arms as a pout formed on his lips. “It brightened the place up. I don't know why Izzy was in such a tizzy about it.” He paused before he chuckled. “Izzy in a tizzy.” I rolled my eyes at him, but my lips twitched upward all the same. “She made me repaint every single wall after I had just finished the last hallway by her office door.”

“Neon orange, yellow, and pink were not the best color choices.” Seth deadpanned. I covered my mouth to stifle my giggles over the look the lighter haired twin gave his brother.. “Those shades of color were giving everyone headaches. If you had gone with more earth colors, I'm sure Isabelle would've thanked you, not ban you from ever picking up a paintbrush again.” Shawn jerked his head to the side with a dismissive noise.

“But those colors were almost as boring as white. All I wanted to do was bring a little bit of cheer into this place. You would’ve thought that she caught me trying to strangle her cat or something with the way she yelled at me. That woman seriously needs to get laid. She is way to uptight. If she had brown hair, I would think that she is a clone of Spears.” The younger halfling muttered under his breath.

“Stop pouting.” The auburn haired man ordered his brother. “Let's bring Cal to the garden. I'm sure she could use a rest. We've been walking her for almost an hour now.” Seth smiled kindly down at me. Shawn let out a sigh, but a grin was tugging at his lips as well. I tilted my head to the side with confusion on my face. Both brothers just ignored my look and each took ahold of one of my arms to lead me further in the bunker.

I could see why Fenrir wanted to stay with Adrian now. The wolf spirit doesn't have the patience to deal with the Twins, and I'm sure he would have bitten Shawn a few times by now. The lighter redhead looked over his shoulder at me with a miffed look after that last thought crossed my mind. It was almost as if he heard what I was thinking, but I bit the tip of my tongue to keep from laughing.

“We're here!” Seth exclaimed with a bit of enthusiasm that reminded me of his brother. I looked at the door fixing the sleeves of the dark green shirt and the front of my black skirt I was wearing. The brothers gave me wide smiles as they took positions on either side of the plain, steel door, and I lifted an eyebrow at them while keeping any sign of anticipation off my face. “This room here is the best room in this place, and it's very relaxing. Since Isabelle keeps everyone so busy, hardly anyone but the two of us come here.”

Shawn pushes the door open after the auburn haired halfling finishes his speech to reveal a massive indoor garden. I took a couple do steps inside with a look of wonder on my face. My cousins snickered behind me as they followed me into the small paradise.

I instantly fell in love with this space. It was a water garden that had blue water lilies floating in a pool the size of a bus. Silver mosaic tile covered the sides and bottom of the pool that looked only about five feet deep. There was a scent of jasmine in the air that came from flowers planted along the outer edge of the room. Smooth stones made up the flooring with small areas of grass scattered throughout the garden.

The room itself was dark with lights glowing from the flowers and the water, giving the room a nighttime look. The ceiling had what looked like stars embedded above my head, and I spotted an area off to the left side of the room that had a sunken couch covered in pillows all different shades of blue. The lighting, sound of the water lapping gently at the edges of the pool, and the overall atmosphere melted any tension I had. 

Seth and Shawn gently took me by the shoulders and steered me over the couch. I lowered myself on a pile of cushions with a happy sigh as I spread the skirt around my legs so I would trip when I got back up. The rust haired man threw himself on my left side with reckless abandon while his brother sat down in a more composed manner. The three of us sat in silence while I admired the beautiful scenery around me. I would never have thought there could be a place like this hidden in a reaper bunker.

“Takes your breath away, doesn't it?” Seth asked me. I gave a distracted nod back to him as I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath of the floral air. “Shawn and I come here to help relieve some of the energy we get after sitting still for so long. It's the closest thing to outside we can enjoy. Isabelle doesn't like us leaving the base too often.” The lighter haired twin let out a scoff. I looked over at him to see his face pinched in annoyance.

“Izzy doesn't let us do a lot of things. Sometimes I wonder if we are just nicely treated prisoners.” He sneered at the ceiling. I cocked my head to the side in confusion. From all the interactions I've seen with the reapers and the halflings, I never noticed any kind of animosity between the two groups. Other then the fond annoyance whenever Shawn pulls a prank, of course.

“Don't be like that, brother. You know why we can't come and go as we please.” The older twin gave a stern look to his brother. Shawn rose up into a sitting position and looked back to his brother. He crossed his arms over his chest as he leaned up against the wall. “Isabelle is just trying to protect us the only way she knows how too. It's not safe for our kind and you know it!” I flinched back from the sharp tone, but neither of the Twins noticed.

“What do you mean it's not safe? Surely the Hunters are only after me, right?” I asked with a bit of hesitation. Two sets of green eyes looked over at me as if they had forgotten I was even there with them. This must be a frequent argument. “Why can't you leave whenever you want to if you take the proper precautions?” Shawn looked over at Seth as if to say ‘See? Even she agrees that it's stupid.’ The auburn haired man sighed as he ran a hand through his hair.

“Being a halfling is hard as you know.” I agreed with another nod. “With everything that's been going on in the Reaper Realm, things have gotten worse.” The rust haired man flopped back down in the mass of pillows. He lowered his head on my thighs with a sigh of frustration. I buried a hand in his fiery locks to help relax my cousin. Seth huffed at his younger brother's childishness and at me for indulging him, but he just continued to speak.

“Apparently, the oh so esteemed Council of Elders thought it would be nice to ask the Lower Choir of Angels to join in their hunt for you. They also told those angels about us as well. Normally if a halfling is past the age of majority, the Upper Choir will not allow the Lower to attack or kill and halflings if they can find a balance in their divine powers and mortal bodies. However, since our uncles are fighting with the massive influx of demons, Father can't keep an eye on the entire Lower Choir himself.”

It made sense to me. All angels viewed halflings as an abomination against the order of Divine Law of Nature or something like that. If any halflings are discovered while under the age of majority, most angels will kill the halfling and the mortal parent. If I remember the lecture from Grandpa correctly, the angelic parent has their wings stripped and are banished to o the mortal plane to live the rest of eternity in solitude.

For a race that claims to be so righteous, they have very harsh and narrow minded beliefs. 

“Father placed in the care of Isabelle and her fellow deserters. He knew we had a better chance of surviving if we came here, and he can't protect us anymore. He bent the rules a lot in our childhood, but now it's open season on all halflings. They keep our existence hidden from the Lower Choir, and we assist the reapers in any way we can.” Shawn muttered from his position on my lap. “I still say we could go outside every now and then. I hate being cooped up for so long.” 

“I'm sure it'll get better soon. When Grandpa comes back, he'll straighten out the reapers and the Upper Choir will have help against the demons. It'll be over before you know it.” I patted the rust red hair of the younger twin. Seth made a sympathetic noise in the back of his throat in agreement. I got a hesitate smile from my cousin as he looked up at me with deep green eyes. Eyes that made him look so much younger them I knew he was.

Just as I was about to asks if the Twins could show me to the kitchen for tea, the entire underground bunker gave a shudder. Seth quickly reached around to hold onto my shoulders to stabilize me as the tremors settled. Shawn had moved out from under me and covered my head to protect it from any falling debris. Luckily nothing other then dust was dislodged from the ceiling. I peeked out from under my cousins to the door as another, weaker tremor shook the building.

“What in the name of hell was that?!” I shouted over the new sound of rumbling. I had wrapped my arms around my belly in fright as another tremor shook the room so much, Shawn fell to the side of me. Seth pushed me into his brother's arms as a chunk of rubble the size of my head landed where I was just sitting. I let out a startled shriek that made the younger male wince.

“We must be under attack!” Seth gave a fierce snarl that was almost as intimidating as my lover's. He shoved himself up on his feet while Shawn helped me get up despite the sudden cramps that came from my stomach. He gave me an inquisitive look, but I waved off his concern. “I have no idea who it is, but I'm sure Isabelle is already retaliating.” I don't know if his words were meant to comfort him, his brother, or me, but I kept my mouth shut.

The Twins and I tried to make our way safely to the door while tremors and rumbles shook the ground we walked on. I held onto the rust haired twin's hand with a death grip while I placed my other hand on my lower belly. The cramping slowly got worse as time progressed. It wasn't until a sharp pain flared up that I let out a pained cry and collapsed. Seth and Shawn were quick to catch me.

“Don't worry about me. I'm fine,” I muttered out of clenched teeth. The two redheads gave me looks of disbelief as I panted through the pain. “It's just a false labor pain. I've been having them since the start of the month. It'll pass soon.” Shawn waited for a few seconds before he swept me up in his arms. I let out a squeak of shock, but I was quick to wrap my arms around his shoulders.

“We don't have time to wait. We need to find the others.” The uncharacteristically serious tone distracted me from the pain of the contraction long enough for the Twins to rush out of the room. They quickly hurried down the large maze of hallways as the chaos continued above us. “We're heading to the control room. Lucas has security cameras all around the place. Yeah, I know, but reapers have a weird assortment of technology.” Shawn cut off my question before I could get it out.

All three of us managed to get to the room with no problems other then stumbling a bit from the shaking. Inside looked like a security office with monitors, a control panel, and several radios. The younger male set me down on one of the chairs while a reaper with brunette hair slicked back from his face pressed a whole bunch of keys on the control panel. His eyes kept flickering from screen to screen as he took in the situation that was happening all around the bunker.

“What's the situation, Gizmo?” Shawn asked as he took up a spot beside me. The clacking of keys was the only noise as all five screens flickered to different locations inside and outside the building.

“I've told you not to call me that.” Lucas responded without looking at the halfling. “I don't care how well you think that name suites me, it's annoying.” He glared out of the corner of his eyes at the younger of my cousins before he turned his attention back to the screens. “We've got a pack of Hunter Reapers attacking above us.” Another less powerful shudder shook the room as if to back up his statement. “They must've followed Knox’s trail when he showed up.”

I flinched a bit, thinking that it was my fault for bringing trouble to Isabelle’s home. Ronald must not have masked his path through the realms. I gritted my teeth as another wave of pain rippled over my body. Seth caught my attention with a shake of his head to show that it wasn't my fault, but it only lessened some of the guilt. Shawn just ran a hand over his face in frustration.

“Can this day get any worse?!”

I yelped as fluid suddenly erupted from between my legs soaking part of the skirt I had on. Three sets of eyes widened at the puddle forming under the seat, and I looked up at the rust haired man with a glare on my face.

“You just had to open your mouth!”


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I just wanted to thank you for hanging with me so far. Unfortunately, I have some bad news. Don't worry, I'm NOT abandoning the story, but I won't be able to work on it very often. My grandfather is very sick, and the doctors think he won't be alive much longer.   
> My grandma and mother are taking this very hard right now, so I'm going to be taking care of them for awhile.   
> I didn't end this chapter on a cliffhanger so I wouldn't torture you guys. I'm not sure how long it'll be before I get at so...yeah.  
> Anyway, hope you enjoy this!

Adrian's POV

I ran after Isabelle as we headed to the control room. I caught the faint sound of four paws connecting with the floor beside me as Fenrir came barreling up from another hallway in this massive maze. He matched my stride easily as the white haired woman made a sharp turn in her hurry. I took a quick glance up at the ceiling as a strike from the outside sent shockwaves throughout the hidden base.

I hope my kitten is tucked somewhere safe with her new cousins. The three halflings wanted some family bonding, and I had no issues with it. I was still a little twitchy about allowing my kitten out of my sight, but I knew I could rest easy. The sons of Raphael were powerful beings, and they had shown that they could protect Cal so my fear wasn't as overwhelming as I thought I could be. Especially since my beautiful mate was expecting. 

“The control room is just past the next few turns!” Isabelle shouted over the sound of the attack. The girl turned to look over her shoulder just to see me nod in response. “All the reapers will meet up there for-” She paused her words as another sound was heard over the shaking. The wolf spirit snorted as his ears twitched, and he looked up at me with an amused gleam in his eyes that I didn't interpret until I realized the sounds were words. 

Words being shouted by Cal. Violent and loud words being shouted.

“-ever see him again, I'll strangle him with his own hair! He is a dead man! Ahhhh! He's never coming near me again if I have a say in it!” I gulped a bit in slight terror over the words my lover was screaming, but then my heart twisted when her tone changed into one of panic instead of anger. I quickened my pace to reach her faster. I skidded by the closed door as Cal sobbed.

“Where is he?! I can't do this without him! Please, bring him to me! He can't miss the birth of his children! Shawn, go find him! I want Adrian here now! He has to be here! I'm scared! It's too soon for them to come! What if something's wrong!?” The fear entering her tone nearly made me frantic to get to her, and I stumble over my feet in my haste until I could get ahold of the door handle. I bursted into the room with Fenrir and Isabelle on my heels.

The Twins had my lover set up in a corner of the room away from the brunette that was trying to focus on the screens instead of the screaming. Fenrir hung back with his ears flat against his skull as his partner sobbed. The lighter haired male was behind Cal allowing her to have some comfort while his elder brother was working to make a makeshift wall to give her privacy. The woman looked over at me with tears shimmering in her blue eyes, and I was shoving her cousin out of the way without a thought.

I moved in behind her with my legs on either side of her, and her delicate hands found mine in a fierce grip that made me wince. The two brothers were able to make a wall using a sheet that closed the four of us off from the rest of the room. Seth then moved in front of us and covered my kitten’s legs with another sheet. He turned to his brother and gave off quick orders to find towels, hot water, and several other things that I missed.

I turned my attention to my mate as she clenched her hands around me again, and I tried to look at her face in my worry. Sweat was beginning to dew along her hair line, and her eyes and jaw were clenched in pain. I pulled my left hand free from her death grip to brush her bangs out of her face. Once the pain had lessen, my angel sagged against my chest as she panted. Seth reached up and patted her knee.

“You're doing great, little one. Just keep breathing through the pain.” He offered his younger cousin a reassuring smile as he turned to help Shawn set what he needed around Cal’s legs. I had to bite my tongue when the auburn haired man reached up to remove my lovers clothing from her lower body. I distracted myself from my possessiveness by looked down into hazy sapphire eyes. I offered her a smile, but the lovely eyes of my lover sharpened like steel as the hold on my hand tightened again.

“This is your fault! I swear this is the only time I'm EVER having children!” I had to bite back a whimper as the bones in my hand cracked from the pressure of her grip. “We are NEVER having sex again! If you ever even THINK of touching me again, I'll RIP it off! ” I saw the two halflings wince in sympathy for me, but I glared over in the direction of the white haired woman as her snickers drifted through the makeshift wall.

As the contraction passed, the copper haired woman slumped against me again. I was handed a wet cloth to wipe the sweat that was dripping from her forehead. I knew she truly didn't mean her threats, but I kept my fingers crossed all the same. I don't think I could ever go without claiming her again for the rest of our lives. Her slight frame flinched against me as Seth moved her legs a bit wider.

“It won't be much longer, Cal. You're almost ready to push. Just a few more centimeters to go.” The auburn haired man’s words sent a thrill of excitement through me. A large, goofy grin was growing on my face as I listened to the pants of my mate, but the massive shudder of the room instantly sent a bucket of ice through my veins. The attack hadn't let up in the slightest, and the rest of the reapers had finally arrived.

“How many Hunters are out there, Lucas?” Isabelle was quick to take charge of the situation. I had a moment of teacher pride as the reaper stayed calm as everything went to pot all around her. The clacking of computer keys was almost drowned out by the mews of pain and discomfort that escaped from my angel. I couldn't hear the response, but I did hear the woman give a…sigh of relief? 

“Only three? Good. Sounds like this is just a probe instead of a full scale attack. Still, we can't be too careful. I'm sure there are at least two more Hunters observing so they can report back.” I looked back down at Cal as her breath hitched and her small hands fisted around my pants. I felt torn at that moment. Half of me was screaming to go above ground to eliminate the threat to my family, but the other half refused to leave my mate in this vulnerable time. 

I tuned out the discussion and trusted Isabelle to make sure all of us would remain safe long enough for Cal to deliver. Once the babies were here, I could assist without fear of something happening to my lovely kitten. I pulled her bangs out of her eyes once they opened up to meet mine. I was concerned over the amount of pain she was in, but as long as her cousin didn't show any panic or worry, I guess this was normal.

“You feeling alright, kitten? Other then the obvious.” I pressed a kiss to her temple and took her hand again. I would probably loose feeling in my fingers before this was over, but I didn't care. The girl shakily nodded her head as she let out a hiss, and I winced in sympathy. “I'm right here. Just breath and try to relax.” I managed to sound relaxed myself, and I gave myself a mental pat on the back for keeping my voice even.

“Ok, she's ready. Shawn get into position, I'm not sure how long this will take.” I watched as Seth knelt between Cal's legs and Shawn moved to crouch on his right side with a towel in his hands. “Cal, on the next contraction you'll feel the urge to push. I want you to push with the contraction. Do you understand?” The auburn haired man spoke with such a firm tone, and she barely had time to agree just as another wave overcame her.

She let out a wail that had me torn up inside, and I felt helpless as she stiffened in my arms. I wanted to take the pain away from her. I hated to see my kitten suffer like this, but at the same time, I was happy to know that my children would be arriving soon. Cal let out a gasp as her body relaxed all of a sudden. She was taking in gulps of air at a rapid pace as I wiped her face with the cool cloth. This cycle went on a few more times with no apparent progress, and my lover was beginning to tire.

“I…I can't…” Cal whimpered out through her gasps. “I can't….do this.” Tears had mixed in with the dew drops on her face, and I brushed them away as I curled around her a bit. “It's.. It's too…much. Just cut…cut them out.” I stiffened at the thought of one of the halflings cutting into her flesh, and a snarl formed on my lips. Shawn had a look of sympathetic fear as he rubbed one of her legs, and he shook his head.

“It's already too late for that, little one. Not to mention that your mate would tear whoever is brave enough to touch your skin with a blade to pieces.” He put his left hand on her belly and felt along the swell. “One of your babies is already in position. All you need to do is give a few hard pushes and you can rest for a bit. You can do this, Cal.” The rusty haired man’s words seem to help give her incentive.

After three more pushes, the wail of a baby broke the tense atmosphere. Cal collapsed on my chest in relief as a red, squirming thing was passed from Seth’s hands to Shawn’s. All I caught was the slightest glimpse of coppery hair as the child was hidden from view. My eyes flickered from the woman resting against my chest to the younger halfling that was cleaning my first born. 

Seth felt around on Cal’s slightly shrunken belly for the second child, and my kitten stiffened as he hit a few tender spots. My chest rumbled with a low growl as she let out a whimper. Seth’s deep green eyes flickered over to me for just a second until I got myself under control. Shawn came around and placed our child into a bassinet and watched me as his twin checked under the sheet.

“I just had a baby, leave me alone.” Cal grumbled out. My lips twitched upwards as she let out a weak growl. I stroked her hand with my thumb as it flexed around my fingers, and she leaned her head further in the crook of my neck. When my lover let out a whine and squirmed a bit,my eyes flashed back over to her cousins.

“I know you're tired, but you still have one more baby that needs to come out. Adrian, stop looking like you're going to kill me, I need to check her.” The auburn haired male ordered me with impatient annoyance in his words. I glared at him, but I moved so that my face was mostly hidden behind sweaty copper locks. Only my eyes were visible,and I watched the Twins without blinking. The older brother pressed on Cal’s stomach just as she stiffened with another contraction.

“Ahhhh! The next time you want kids, your carrying them!” I flinched when sharp nails dug into my skin on my hand and thigh. There was a sound like an aborted chuckle that came from one of the halflings by our feet, and I didn't have time to glare at them. There was a loud crack, and I let out a yelp as a few of the bones in my right hand broke under the strain of my lover’s grip. I clenched my jaw as she relaxed again.

“I can see the head, Cal. Just one more big push, and you're done!” Seth held one hand over the round belly as an effort to help guide the baby. Hazy blue eyes opened into small slivers, and I could see the exhaustion all over her face as Cal flinched in pain. Her head was shaking back and forth in denial, but I straightened both her and myself up into a more sitting position.

“Come on, kitten. I know you can do this. My lover is the strongest being I know. It's almost over, and you can rest soon.” I whispered more encouraging words into her hair, and a look of determination came over her face. My worn out mate gritted her teeth and, in her last bit of strength, finally delivered our second child. More crying was heard as Shawn took the baby, and Seth began to clean my lover up.

Cal had tears streaming down her face as I took the rag and washed off all the effort of her labor. The copper haired girl pressed her face into the crook of my neck as her body gave a large shudder. I watched as Seth moved away from between Cal’s legs from the corner of my eyes. I finally got my broken hand free, and shook the appendage out a bit so Shawn could heal the damage.

“Well, I please to present to you your children. You have a boy, and a girl.” Seth held the two, white bundles in his arms as he moved over to us. Both bundles were placed on Cal’s chest, and her arms instinctively supported the slight weight of our children. I moved so I could look over her shoulder to see what our children looked like, and I just barely held a gasp back as my eyes traced over the tiny features of the twins.

The boy was our first born. He had a small blue cap on his head, but I could see little whips of hair the same shade as my mate's peeking out. His eyes fluttered open to reveal chartreuse irises like mine, and my lips curled up into a smile. One of his hands was free from the blanket he was wrapped up in so I traced his tiny fingers with one of mine. His eyes flickered over to my face as he wrapped his hand around as much of my finger as he could. Cal let out a watery laugh as she watched our son, but a coo made me look over to our daughter.

Big blue eyes had me instantly smitten, and I felt a rush of primal pride when silvery strands became visible once I lifted the pink cap a bit with my free hand. I received a toothless grin from my daughter when I stroked one delicate cheek with the pad of my index finger. This beautiful little girl has all the features of her mother in her face and her smile, and I mentally dreaded when males would undoubtedly notice her beauty. I had a feeling my death scythe was going to be used a lot when that day arrived.

“They are perfect.” I whispered to my angel. I looked at her with such happiness that a silly grin had spread over my face without my knowledge. “Thank you for granting me this miracle, lovely.” I craned my neck to give Cal a sweet kiss that had my insides melting. I broke the kiss with a dreamy look on my face as I gazed back down at our children. The twins had cuddled up against Cal’s breasts with small yawns.

“What are you going to name them?” Shawn quietly asked as he knelt to get a better look at the babies. Seth was standing stooped over with a smile as he watched our children nuzzle against their mother. We had talked it over a little bit, but I wanted my kitten to name them in the end. She was wonderful at picking out names, and I was proven right when she softly whispered.

“Corin Sage Crevan and Artemis Tisha Crevan.” Tears sprang to my eyes, and I finally cut all ties to my past.


	18. Chapter 18

Cal's POV

“So, do we have new arrivals yet?” The boisterous voice of Ronald Knox shattered the serene atmosphere. While his question didn't wake up the twins, it did cause Adrian to let out an annoyed growl. My lover tried to completely envelope all three of us into his robes to keep us from view, and I rolled my eyes at the mad man. I was too tired to do anything else at this point. I pushed myself further in my lover's arms as the other reapers looked in on my new family.

Ronald and Isabelle had the obvious signs of being in a fight from their messed up hair to small rips in the clothing they wore. The lavender haired reaper, Alastair, was nursing what looked like a dislocated shoulder and a black eye. The other soul collectors were no where to be found, but from the grumbling that came from my cousin, I had a feeling they were being taken to the infirmary that the female in charge kept fully stocked. Ronald moved slightly closer to see the twins I held in my arms.

“Awwww! They are so adorable!” He let out an excited whisper. “They both have a good mix of your features, ginger snap. I just knew you'd make pretty babies!” He gave me a teasing grin as he winked at me. I smiled back at the younger male, but the sudden tightening of the arms around my waist had me wincing. The silver haired man loosened his hold with an apologetic kiss that was pressed to my temple. Ronald's eyes flicked up to Adrian, and his smile dropped a few notches.

The duel haired color man was intelligent enough to keep his distance from me while Adrian watched his movement like a wolf. I caught a glimpse of his eyes, and I just knew that if anyone twitched in a threatening manner towards me and the babies…well…it would be safe to say no one would ever find the body of the offender. All he was waiting for was a single mistake, and from the looks of the other supernatural beings around me, they knew it as well. Isabelle slowly reached down to place a hand on Ronald's shoulder.

“We'll leave the two of you be for now. The rest of us need to be checked over for injuries after that fight. We managed to destroy the Hunters this time, so the base is safe for now.” Alastair, Ronald, and Isabelle backed away until they were out of sight, and the tense form behind me relaxed a bit. I let out a tired sigh as Adrian nuzzled his face in the crook of my neck with a happy purr. 

“We need to see if our room is still intact. Artemis and Corin will be waking up soon for a feeding, and I have a feeling your territorial tendencies will become unbearable if we are not alone.” He let out an agreeable noise in the back of his throat as he rested his chin on my shoulder so he could watch the sleeping forms in my arms. While I couldn't see his expression, I could almost see the waves of satisfaction that he emitted. 

“Ummm….” I looked up to see Shawn cautiously peek his head around the curtain wall with a nervous glint in his eyes. “Your room is good. It's three hallways down, fourth door on the right. Close to the garden we showed you earlier, Cal. I'll let the others know you'll be relocating there. Oh! Big brother and I left you some baby supplies for you.” I smiled at the thoughtfulness of my fellow halflings and gave him a bright smile.

Adrian rumbled behind me as he moved his arms to slip under my knees and around my waist. In a fluid motion, the reaper was on his feet and brushing past the rusty haired man in a brisk walk. He followed the directions while looking all around the four of us for some threat. I don't know why he had gone into such a protective mode, but I suppose it had to deal with the last time he almost became a father. I nuzzled my face in the crook of his neck to try and reassure the man the all three of us were fine.

We arrived at the correct door in just a few minutes. After a bit of juggling with the twin infants in my arms, I managed to open the door. Inside was a large bedroom/sitting room combo, and I was almost in awe. There was a mini kitchen just off to the side of a large black plush couch. A coffee table was placed in front of the couch, and had empty bottles for the babies. Dark hardwood floors covered the entire space, making the room almost cave like but comfortable.

There was a king size bed on the other side of a partial wall that separated it and the sitting room. The bed had dark mahogany posts and purple sheets. The comforter was silver and plush looking, and I felt a wave of desire to crawl up and cocoon myself in all those blankets. A large crib was placed on the far side of the bed with a changing table beside it. All in all, the space was magnificent. 

I was brought out of my daydreams of snuggling under the covers of that attractive looking bed by cooing at my chest. I looked down at my children and watched as Corin shuffled closer to my heart as his face scrunched up a bit. Artemis was still sleeping peacefully while her brother looked like he was waking up. I felt my heart just melt at the sight of these two small beings in my arms.

The silver haired reaper chuckled as he carried me over to the bed. The mad man seemed to be absurdly pleased with himself for some reason, but I allowed him to bask in his pleasure for the moment. I had a feeling once the kids started crying, he'd panic just likes any new father. Adrian had placed me in a nest of silver and purple pillows and joined me on the bed. His chartreuse eyes flickered between the infants in my arms and my face with a sappy look on his face.

One of his fingers gently trailed down Corin’s cheek, and the boy’s eyes blinked up at the silver haired reaper. My lover slowly came closer to get a better look at his first born, and the child watched him just as curious as his father. I bit my lip to keep from laughing as the two stared at each other. A lock of Adrian's bangs caught the baby's attention, and he gripped it with a gummy smile. I thought it was absolutely adorable until the child yanked on the silver hair with such strength that the reaper bowed a bit.

The man let out a startled yelp that was loud enough to scare both babies. Blue and chartreuse eyes quickly filled with tears as bottom lips quivered. Corin let go of the lock in his chubby fist as if it burned him, and two sets of eyes clinched shut as chocked sounds escaped little throats. His eyes widened in horror as whimpers escalated into wailing crying, and he flailed backwards sputtering. 

“Aww, now now. It's okay. Mommy’s right here.” I glared at him as I tried to sooth Corin and Artemis with gentle rocking motions. “Daddy's just being an idiot. Come now, it's okay. Shhh.” The man bowed his head at my glare and words. “There, there. How about something to eat?” I knew my children could fully understand me just yet, but since they were awake, I needed to try and nurse them while I could.

I won't go into detail about the next little bit. It was awkward and both my children had healthy appetites.

Now both children have been feed, burped, and are now sleeping in the crib. I flopped against the pillows as everything caught up to me. My tiger was hesitantly coming closer to me, but froze as soon as I cracked opened an eye to look at him. He had a kicked puppy look on his face so I stretched out a hand to him. Instantly, there was a black and silver blur that launched at me to curl around behind me. A wide chest provided support for my tired body, and warm arms were quickly around me.

He made a whiny in noise in the back of his throat as the reaper rested his forehead on my left shoulder. The mad man’s hands were kneading along my hands, arms, hips, and upper thighs. The sensation was helping the soreness I was experiencing, but his grip was lacking some of his usual confidence. I looked at the mass of silver on my shoulder, but his face was still hidden from view.

“Tiger, what's wrong?” He stiffened behind me as his hands froze on my ribs just under the swell of my breasts. A mumble came from over my shoulder as the clawed tipped hands crisscrossed around me gently. “I know this is not just about the babies. Tell me what has you tied up in knots, please.” I leaned further in his arms as exhaustion washed over me. I closed my eyes and took in the sandalwood and cinnamon scent as he gathered his words.

“I hate this.” He spoke after what felt like hours and drawing me from the doze I had fallen in. “You should be having our children and resting in our shop or the cabin we were at a few months ago.” He sighed with a hint of a growl in his voice. “It shouldn't be like this. Hiding in a burrow from your enemies that want nothing more then to use you and the children in a power struggle. I couldn't even protect you while the Hunters tried to flush us out!”

Adrian's arms tighten momentarily, but he loosened his hold on me before he hurt me. I felt him lift his head off my shoulder and silver strands covered my arm. He was looking over at the crib where Artemis and Corin were softly snoring their first meal away. I twisted my head to try and get a better look at his face, but there wasn't a good angle. A weight rested on my back between my shoulder blades, and the former undertaker sounded regretful as his words got quieter.

“Look at them. They were just barely conceived, and they were almost lost due to my inability to protect all of you. I didn't even come after you! I had to wait for that…that…reaperling to bring you to this world! How can I keep all three of you safe in this mess if I couldn't protect you when you needed me most? How can I be a good father and mate if I allow you to be taken from my arms without a fight?” He pressed his face into my back as if trying to hide from his self perceived uselessness. 

I blinked at his words feeling exasperated, happy, remorseful, and touched all at the same time. I knew my lover couldn't keep this bottled up much longer, but I really didn't expect him to open up quite so soon. While I was thrilled he was voicing his problems to me, I couldn't help but wish he would have waited until after I had gotten a few hours of sleep. It had been a very long day, and sleep was about to become a rare commodity. Still I felt my lips twitch up in a small smile.

“Adrian, you are a wonderful mate, and you will be a wonder father.” I felt his head move up just a couple of inches so he could listen to me better. “For the past year we've been together, you have protected me more times then I can count. I know you hate not coming after me, but look at it this way. If you showed up in the Reaper Realm, you might've been killed or captured. How could you have helped me then? I can't live without you.”

I reached a hand up to try and coax his face out from where it was pressed against my back. The mad man didn't resist my tugging too much, and soon I was able to look at my lover's face. Briefly I wondered if I had become a shrink without anyone informing me of my sudden career choice. I lifted a hand to cup a scarred cheek, and a smile bloomed on my face when my lover pressed his face into the touch.

“I know things haven't gone well for you in the past, but we are still here. You were right beside me when I needed you most. Sure I'm fully aware of the desire you have for ripping my enemies apart and bringing me their severed heads on a silver platter.” A gleam of bloodlust entered his eyes at the thought, and I got a brief rush of pity for whoever stands against the mad man. I tugged on a lock from his bangs to interrupt his daydreaming.

“Dream about that later, tiger,” I spoke in a firm tone that got me a pout. I giggled as I closed my eyes and leaned over to kiss his cheek. “Put all those negative thoughts out of your head about not being a good father and mate. Tomorrow we are going to spend the day with our children so we can bond, so right now iI want you to hold me and relax. That got me a slightly nervous but excited look as Adrian's eyes drifted back over to the crib beside the bed.

“Lovely, I don't know what I'd ever do without you.” The velvet voice whispered in my ear making me suppress a shudder. While the words caused pain in my heart over our forced time apart, my lover’s voice could still affect me like always. The silver haired reaper shifted into a more comfortable position in the nest of pillows and blankets as I tried to ignore the heat that was flaring up in my lower belly. I cleared my throat as strong arms maneuvered my body so that I was pressed along the right side of the tall man.

“I hope you never have to find out again.” I whispered into his chest. Things had been so strange since we were separated, and I wasn't sure how to make things right again. There was almost an uncomfortableness between us that made things strained. While I felt like the distance shrunk a bit between us, there was still something that made us uneasy with the other. 

I fisted my hand in the black robe that Adrian had yet to remove, and I felt his hand rub along my spine in response. The small gesture made me hope that our issues will get resolved sooner then I thought.

“Sleep while you can, love. I have a feeling that things are about to get crazy.”


	19. Chapter 19

Hello everyone. I'm so sorry about keeping you all hanging for so long, but things in my personal life have gone down the tubes. I'm sure I've told all of you about my grandfather being ill, well....he finally passed away last week.

While we expected it sooner or later, it's been very hard on my family right now. I had just finished this chapter an hour before my mother informed me of his passing.

Ah...I'm sure you don't want to hear the details about that...

Anyway...I am, unfortunately, taking a hiatus for awhile. My muse is grieving right now, and I don't know when he'll be done. Thank you all for being so patient with me.

-Wolfy

 

Cal POV

 

Adrian was correct about things getting insanely crazy.

 

For one thing, my babies were aging rapidly. After two weeks, Corin and Artemis looked to be about two years old already with no sign of their growth slowing down. I panicked when I noticed just how quickly my little ones were growing, and my lover was just as shocked as I was. Would our children keep aging until they died, or are they immortal like Grandpa, and just wouldn't settle on a form?

 

There were so many different scenarios running circles in my head, but surprisingly, Fenrir was the one to put all my fears to rest. The wolf had walked into the room with the twins playing with soft blocks on the floor while I was sobbing into the silver haired reaper's chest. It took awhile for both of them to calm me down, but once I pulled myself together long enough to brace myself for the inevitable, he told me how the growth pattern of children like mine.

 

Corin and Artemis would rapidly grow until they reached the age of about five or six. Once their bodies and minds reached that point, they would age and develop like normal children. From what I gathered from my weapon partner’s explanation, this was due to the powers they held within their tiny bodies. A baby couldn't hold that much so they are forced to grow until their bodies could handle the strain without being ripped apart. While that comforted me, I still couldn't help but watch in worry.

 

Fenrir just told me I was acting like an overprotective mother wolf before he returned to his realm to escape my wrath. 

 

Coward.

 

Anyway, Isabelle and her little hodgepodge of deserter reapers were slowing growing. Adrian had sounded the call to all grim reapers that war was coming soon. Ronald and the others had been traveling around the globe to gather other deserters that had gone underground when the Council had come into power. The base was crawling with soul collectors, and I was so pleased with my tiger's efforts. 

 

Seth and Shawn were going stir crazy again when the reapers wouldn't demand their attention, so I enlisted my cousins’ help into getting me back into fighting shape. Adrian would follow me with our toddlers in tow to keep all of us within his sight. His instincts were going crazy with all these strangers around. Our little flame and moon would demand most of his attention when the red haired men and I sparred, so it worked out in the end.

 

My halfling cousins were completely besotted with my children. I had a bad feeling that Shawn might teach the younger set of twins the art of pranking, but I wanted to see what would happen. I wasn't sure if I was looking forward to Isabelle’s reactions, however I knew the base wouldn't be boring for long. I glanced over at my lover as he watched Seth and Shawn play with their baby cousins.

 

The poor man didn't have any idea what hell was going to be unleashed when our children got older. It was getting late in the evening, and I was using Adrian as a cushion after a big day of training. I was very happy to be where I was before I got pregnant, but Lucas wasn't pleased with me after I punched one of the male reapers through a wall. I didn't mean to hit the guy that hard, but that's what the pervert got for groping me.

 

Lucas better be happy that my tiger never found out about that incident otherwise they wouldn't find the body.

 

A hand rubbed up my spine distracting me from my thoughts. I looked up from my place leaning against Adrian's chest to meet chartreuse eyes. The mad man gave me a soft smile before he pressed his lips to my forehead. I closed my eyes with a smile as I savored the contact between us. With the kids, the two of us hardly had any time to ourselves, but as my daughter came running over to me, I found I didn't mind too much.

 

“Mama! Mama! Look!” The blue eyed girl held up a drawing of what looked like a vague shape of a skull. It was fairly detailed for a two year old, but Artemis had talent when it came to art. “For you!” The child was also articulate for her age. Corin still had some trouble with his words, but his sister was able to translate for him. I took the drawing with a smile as the silver haired reaper huffed a bit in mock hurt.

 

“Daddy doesn't get one?” Adrian asked our daughter with a pout in his words. The look the silver haired girl had on her face was the same one I would give the former mortician whenever he did something stupid. I covered my smile with one of my hands as Artemis crossed her little arms over her chest. Adrian's eyes looked from her to me before his head sagged. “Now there's two of them.” I just barely heard his mutter. Luckily, Corin came up beside his sister, and saved his father from a chewing out.

 

“Daddy.” The quiet boy held out a sheet of paper with a crudely drawn fox on it. The copper haired child gave his drawing to his father before grabbing his sister’s hand to pull her back over to the older set of twins across the room. My lover watched the toddlers with a warm smile on his face as Corin shyly sat on Seth’s lap while Artemis tackle hugged Shawn. It still amazes me how alike and different our children are.

 

“Hmmm. Have I told you how grateful I am that you have given me these two blessings?” The reaper whispered in my ear before he nuzzled his face in the crook of my neck. I let out a content sigh as I nodded in response. The strong arms around me tightened and I felt the mad man’s chin rest on the top of my head. I closed my eye and rested my head on the reaper's chest. Seth had put me through the wringer today.

 

Clawed fingers ran through my hair, and allowed me to doze off for a bit. While I knew that being a parent would involve some long nights, I still wasn't quite prepared for all the hours of sleep I had lost over the past two weeks. It didn't help that I was needed for all the planning for the Reaper Revolution that Shawn had taken to calling our cause. It didn't help that Adrian and I needed to go to France with a quick stop in Germany soon.

 

“Hey, Cal…” I forced open my tried eyes to look over at the rusty haired halfling. My children were being held by the older twins and all four of them had hopeful looks on their faces. “Can the munchkins stay with us tonight and tomorrow? Pleeeeeeeeeease?” I blinked at the question before looking up at my lover. He studied the red haired men with narrowed chartreuse eyes before he gave me a shrug.

 

“Make sure they brush their teeth and don't stay up too late.” Shawn and Artemis let out a whoop of joy before coming over to give me a kiss on the cheek. After both sets of twins called out a goodnight, my tiger and I were left alone in the room. We sagged a bit on the couch we were sitting on, and I couldn't help but let out a laugh. The scarred man gave a questioning grunt as he sank further in the cushions.

 

“I have more respect for parents and child care workers now. The amount of energy those two have is staggering.” Adrian let out an agreeable sound. “It's only going to get worse. You know that right, tiger?” The groan that came from him caused me to let out a round of giggles. “Why are you so tired? I'm the one training, planning, and looking after the kids.” The silver fringe parted enough to give me a look.

 

“Remember, I'm the one that entertains the children while you get to throw your cousins around,” he grumbled at me as he lifted his head off the back of the couch. “Yesterday, Artemis asked me if she could throw her brother around like her mama tosses Uncle Shawn.” I looked up at my lover with a raised eyebrow. I wonder if I should start them on self defense yet, but I shook my head, too tired to really commit to that train of thought.

 

“When do we need to go to France to meet up with William?” I asked my lover. He lifted a hand to rub the back of his neck in thought. Lucas found out that the English Dispatch Unit was sending the manager over to France for some important task that the brothel reject was too immature to complete. We were being sent to meet up with our stoic friend so he could prepare the reapers back in the Reaper Realm be be ready for our attack.

 

“We have to make a stop in Germany first.” He reminded me with a slightly annoyed tone. “There is an old colleague of mine that I need to speak with before we go to France. He needs to deliver a message to the little Earl and his butler for us.” When he sneered the word butler, I cocked my head to the side in confusion. He sounded more hateful then the last time we spoke about the black haired demon.

 

“Adrian, why are you snarling over that creature? I would've thought you'd be feeling a bit more neutral towards him after all this time. Did something happen?” I lifted a hand to run my fingers through the long mane of silver. The reaper stiffened under me with his face twisted in a hateful sneer. A growl came from his throat that answered my question about something happening while we were apart.

 

“That…that…vermin!” Was all I got before I was sitting on the couch with my lover pacing in front of me as he worked himself up in a rage. I watched him with wide eyes as he stalked around the room muttering vengeance under his breath. I had never seen him so angry before except for that time when Sebastian kissed me in front of Adrian back on that transatlantic cruise ship. I shivered at the memory of my lover's face warped in bloodlust.

 

“Tiger, come here.” I held out a hand towards the enraged reaper with a pleading look on my face. The tall man whirled around to look at me causing him to be curtained in silver and black. Adrian let out another growl and looked like he was going to refuse my request. His chartreuse eyes closed and his hands clenched in fists as he took a deep breath though his nose. He forced himself to relax as he walked over to the couch, throwing his lean body down beside me with his head in my lap.

 

I gathered the bulk of his hair and draped it over the armrest of the couch. The mad man was still muttering, but I was able to pick up bits and pieces if what he was saying as I allowed my fingers to comb through the mass of silver. I just allows my lover space to rant a little bit more before I pulled the reason behind his murderous threats out. I blinked at the last group of words and paused in my hair playing.

 

“Can you make someone eat their own intestines?” I shifted to the left so I could get a better look at my lover's face. I felt a little green over the image that entered my mind and shuddered in disgust. Adrian let out a bark of laughter when he saw my face, and covered his eyes as he let out some more demented giggles. I stuck out my tongue in retaliation, but clawed fingers captured the muscle in a firm grip.

 

“Don't stick that out at me unless you plan on using it, kitten.” The velvet tone made my cheeks heat in a fiery blush as I pulled my tongue back in my mouth. I glared at the silver haired man as he let out a deep chuckle. “You are so adorable. I just love how you can make me forget all my problems with just a look and a few words.” He captured my left wrist in his hand and placed a kiss on the fragile inner skin. He let out a sigh, and I had to resist shuddering as his hot breath wafted over my skin.

 

“If you must know, I was spending time on the Phantomhive estate most of the time you were gone. After a small incident, I was placed within the manor by William with only that demon to keep me company.” I withheld a wince in sympathy. I knew Sebastian loved to press people's buttons just so he can watch them squirm, but his demonic magnetism prevents his target from retaliating too much. That butler can and does charm a person while stabbing them to death all at the same time.

 

“It was during one of my more lucid moments that I enquired just why he would be after someone like you. From what I know of demons, he should've either avoided you or tried to kill you with your angelic heritage.” He released my hand to cross his arms over his chest as he closed his eyes. My fingers were playing with the fringe of his bangs while my right hand buried itself under the hair to massage his scalp. “But then again, that particular demon seemed to be the exception to the rule.

 

“He very casually informed me that you have just enough angel blood to be turned into a demon under the right circumstances. He was even kind,” insert massive amounts of sarcasm within that one word here, “enough to paint a picture of the end result for me! What pissed me off the most was that HE wants to be the one to taint your beautiful light in darkness! He was all to ready to describe what he would do if I hadn't cut him off. As if I'd ever allow him to do such a thing!” 

 

Just before he could go off on another tangent about what he was going to do to Sebastian, I bent over and pressed my lips to his. Adrian froze for a few seconds, but he melted soon enough. Now I had originally kissed my mate to stop him from talking, but as our lips pressed together, a spark I hadn't felt in months ignited in my lower belly. One of his hands came up to rest on the back of my head so he could deepen the kiss. I had to strain to pull back just a fraction so I could whisper. 

 

“I know you would never allow that to happen, tiger. You would die before that would happen, and I love you for it.” I met his darkened eyes that seemed to sear my soul, and just like that, all the distance and strained feelings I had for him vanished in the fire of his eyes. Seeing him so ready to protect and fight for me made my heart melt, and I smiled against his lips. “Take me to bed, Adrian.”

 

His eyes widened before he growled as he sealed our lips together.


	20. Chapter 20

Cal POV

I was wrapped in strong arms and lifted off the couch before I could react. Adrian never once broke our kiss as he walked us over to the plush mattress, and I slipped my arms down from his neck to unbutton his robes and tunic. Before I could even begin to devastate him of his clothing, large hands gripped my wrists and pined them above my head.

Silver locks draped over the reaper's shoulder to pool on and around my body. I relished in the feel of those silky strands as they shifted with Adrian's movements. One hand encircled my wrists to pin them above my head as clawed fingers slipped under the bottom of my shirt. I didn't get a chance to question my lover before he crushed our mouths together.

The mad man’s kissing and touches were almost desperate in an effort to get closer. I could feel just the smallest amounts of trembling in his arms as his hand shoved my shirt and bra off of me. Once the barrier over my skin was gone, Adrian's mouth was immediately on my throat where his mark was. Both of his hands roamed my upper body before his arms wrapped around my waist. I blinked in confusion when he didn't move for a few minutes.

He pressed numerous kisses to that small patch of skin, and began to worry the skin with his teeth in an effort to make the scar more visible. I arched as a moan slipped past my lips, and grabbed two fists worth of hair as the sensation and the scent of cinnamon and sandalwood washed over me. Adrian seemed perfectly content to remain right where he was for some time, but I wanted to feel his skin against mine.

I moved one hand to tug on his tunic and robe in a silent demand for their immediate removal. With an amused huff, the reaper sat up to straddle my thighs as he made quick work of shucking the rest of our clothes. His eyes glowed as they traced over every inch of skin he could see, making me shiver in anticipation. 

It seems neither one of us wanted to waste anymore time then we have to, and I was okay with that. It had been too long for the both of us.

We both let out pleased noises when the man settled back over me. My tiger ran the fingers of his right hand down from my shoulder to my hip, and he squeezed the flesh under his fingers. He pressed a kiss to my lips, and I panted as lust flared up in my belly once the mad man released my mouth. I could feel a flush spreading over me as sharp teeth scrapped over my collarbone. 

I felt the rumble of his purr as he pulled all kinds of embarrassing sounds from my mouth when he tongued over the hollow of my throat. Adrian lightly scratched down the side of my ribs with his left hand, and I mewed with want. I looked at his face with half lidded eyes, and my pulse raced with excitement at the feral gleam in chartreuse orbs.

I ran my hands down whatever skin I could reach, prepared to thoroughly enjoy what time we had together, but a snarl in my ear accompanied by hands pinning me into place caused that thought to fly out the window. I was shoved back into the mattress by the mass of my lover, and I snapped my eyes to his face to find out what was wrong with him.

The look in his eyes made me freeze with just the barest hint of fear crawling up my spine. The rogue reaper's lips were curled up baring the slightly longer then normal canine teeth, and his whole frame was shaking with what looked like suppressed rage. Glowing eyes stared down on a spot just below my mate mark, and I had to resist the urge to slip my hand free of his grip to feel for what was bothering him.

“Adrian, what-” My tiger let out a roar of righteous anger that made the room shake. My jaw snapped shut, and my heart raced as the spark of fear bloomed bigger. The reaper quickly leaned down so his nose just barely hovered over the spot he was starting at on my skin. I squeezed my eyes shut and fought not to shake as I hear him inhale a deep breath.

Adrian let out a savage growl, and slowly moved around my throat and body. He would take deep breaths every now and then as he searched for whatever it was that had enraged the man. I squirmed a bit as he passed my breasts, and he stopped in his quest to give me a look of reprimand that had me trembling. Once he was satisfied that I would not be moving to interfere with his task, the manic continued.

The growling became less vicious the farther down my body he went, and some of the tension   
out his words.

“I can smell HIM on you…” He trailed off with another snarl, and my blood ran cold. My eyes widened in panic as I rapidly shook my head in denial, making my hair block some of my vision. I wanted to tell my lover that I never let that monster touch me like he does, but the words would not come out of my mouth. 

Small desperate and panicked whimpers were spilling out of my mouth as I struggled to calm down enough to talk to Adrian, however nothing I tried was helping. An irrational fear struck me and had me worked up even more as I pictured my reaper taking our children and leaving me out for Christopher to find me. 

I didn't want to be subjected to whims of an insane reaper that wanted to use me to breed super soul collectors. Tears and choked sobs were coming out without my knowing it, but the hands that pinned my wrists flexed bringing my attention back to the silver haired man above me.

His expression had softened, and he leaned down to nuzzle his cheek with mine as he shushed my cries. I pulled in deep shuddering breaths as he purred. My hands were released, and I flung my arms around Adrian's shoulders to hold him to me. Black clawed tipped hands gently rubbed my shoulders, arms, back, and neck.

“Shhh, love. It's okay. I know,” he whispered over and over in my ear to calm me down. “I know it wasn't you, angel. Calm down.” I buried my face in the crook of his neck as my tears slowed down. He pulled us both up into a sitting position, and I slumped in his lap never releasing my grip on his shoulders. 

“I don't know how he did it, but Christopher managed to create a weak, partial bond with you.” The former mortician explained as he ran a hand up and down my back. I shook a bit in my lover's safe embrace as a feeling of dread pooled in my stomach. Another whimper came as I tried to huddle closer in Adrian's arms as if that alone could solve everything.

“It's alright.” A large hand cupped the side of my face not pressed against scarred skin, and a thumb stroked over my cheekbone. “It's not permanent, kitten. I can easily break it.” The words were spoken in my hair as the mad man pressed kissed on my crown. I shifted my head so one eye could see his face through the fringe of my bangs.

A gentle smile slowly coaxed me out of my hiding place, and I looked at the reaper with what I'm sure was a bit of desperate hope. Adrian kissed my forehead and leaned back so I couldn't hide my face as easily as I did before. His thumb was still rubbing my cheek as he looked at me.

“I-I never let h-him come close t-to me li-like that.” I forced the words out through my shuddering breathing. I had to tell him, even if he already knew. “Wh-why is it th-there?” I tightly fisted his hair in one hand and the other clutched at his shoulder. The rogue just let out a sigh as he tightened his hold on me so that I felt completely enveloped. The feeling helped me relax a bit, and my breathing finally evened out.

“I'm ashamed to say that my brother and I have more in common then you think.” Adrian sounded disgusted by that. “Not only do we look alike, but we share a fascination to understand how things and other beings work. When we were younger, we would experiment as part of the research division, but Christopher would always take things too far. His thirst for knowledge on our own species was boarder line obsessive. There were one time where he kidnapped a youngling to test a theory on.

“ I was usually able to keep him in check, but once Zion was sealed…well I wasn't able to keep as close an eye on him as I should have. Now that he is part of the Council, I'm sure he has no limitations on his experiments. There is no telling how he figured out how to influence a mating bond, but I have a feeling that I don't want to know.” I felt the man give a shudder at the image in his head.

“What I have a hard time believing is how long it took me to find his scent on you.” This was growled out. I lifted my head to look at the silver haired reaper as his face twisted in anger once more. His eyes flickered to my neck, and he caught my hand when I reached up to touch it. “The smell is so faint, but it's just enough to set me on edge. Do you feel any different?” 

I furrowed my brow in thought, thinking back on the few months I spent in the Reaper Realm. It took me a few moments of sorting through my memories, but my eyes flew open once I remembered Christopher bringing something up on day. I cringed at the memory, and noticed that chartreuse eyes had sharpened at movement. I bit my lower lip before I softly told Adrian about the memory.

“Before Ronald found me, Christopher spoke of how he can influence a soul bond. He said that he couldn't completely sever the tie, but he could weaken it enough so it would latch on to any life energy that was similar. I didn't pay too much mind to his words once Ronald showed up, but now…” I chewed on my lip in thought. A cold feeling was slowing spreading throughout my body.

“Towards the end of my stay with him, I could feel very thin threads forming between us. They felt like they were branching off our bond. It felt horrible.” I shrunk down closer to my lover and squeezed my eyes shut as if I could escape the fact that this happened. Even now, I could pick up just the faintest slivers of dark maliciousness that seemed to ooze from the grey haired elder. 

Now that the memories were at the front of my mind, I could almost see the bond in my mind’s eye. Most of it was a beautiful silvery blue that made me think of the stars at night. It glittered and pulsed with feelings of love and happiness. I place a mental hand on the threads that were tightly wound together, and I felt echoes of Adrian's feelings along side my emotions. It sent a rush of warmth that washed over me, but there was little bits of cold mixed in.

I looked along the bond, and saw some of the threads had turned black. At first it started off with only one thread, however the further along I looked over the silvery blue, more and more black was being weaved in. As my eyes trailed down, I saw the bond split like a tree branch. The blue was connected to Adrian, and a solid cord of black traveled to Christopher. I hovered a hand over a grouping of black, but I couldn't bring myself to touch it. 

Dark mist hissed as it tried to envelop my hand. I snatched it back just as a tendril wormed around my fingers. I shivered at the feelings of jealousy, hate, and malicious insanity that came from the mist. Cold began to creep into my inner being, and I felt like I was standing in the presence of the duel iris reaper. 

A gasp came out of my mouth as Christopher suddenly appeared right in front of me. I saw spidery fingers reaching out for me as I scrambled back to the safety of my lover. A twisted smile stretched over his face as that dark gleam entered his eyes. Familiar cackling that sounded like it should've come from his brother bubbled out of his chest as he watched me. 

A large hand stroked over the curve of my skull while another wrapped protectively around my waist shocked me back to the physical world. Silver hair, not grey, was the first thing I saw when I opened my eyes. I realized that I was shivering in cold and fear as my teeth chattered. My eyes quickly found Adrian's face, and the relief I felt would have brought me to my knees if I was standing.

“Kitten, you're so cold.” He was quick to gather the covers around us. I practically buried myself under the blankets and plastered my shivering frame against the silvered haired man. Warm hands cupped my cheeks and brought my face towards his. His eyes searched mine for something as I brought my hands to cover the ones on my face. 

“You found something, didn't you Cal?” Although it was a question, it came out like a statement. The nod I gave him cause the rogue reaper to make a noise in the back of his throat. My tiger turned his head to the side muttering under his breath, but I couldn't make out any of the words. His hands never separated from my skin as he rearranged my body so that I was sitting on his lap instead of straddling it like I was. 

“Adrian, there is more.” The words wobbled a bit as I spoke them. This made my lover's frowning face come into my view again. I snatched the braid in his hair and held on it like the teddy bear I use to have as a child. I took a deep breath and braced myself.

“His bond is growing stronger.”


	21. Chapter 21

Cal’s POV

The hands that were gliding over my bare skin twitched at my words, but they didn't stop. My lover’s silence was a bit unnerving, he didn't even let out a growl. My cheek rubbed against his chest as I lifted my head to look at his face. Adrian had a look of deep concentration on his features that made me hold my tongue.

I felt the reaper's left hand slow climb higher on my back until fingertips traced around the spot where Christopher tried to mark me. Chartreuse eyes narrowed as they studied the spot, and I had to resist the urge to squirm. His other hand moved my copper hair out of the way so he could tap at the skin with one black nail. His expression became thoughtful, and I almost held my breath in hopes he could fix this.

“Hmmm.” The silver haired man’s head tilted to the side. Slender fingers framed the small patch of skin. “I wouldn't worry too much, kitten. I believe I can resolve this situation.” The confidence in his voice was a huge relief to me. The backs of his fingers slowly trailed down the side of my face making my eyes meet his. 

I leaned into his touch as the gentleness eased my fear. His hand moved so it molded to the side of my face, and I lifted one of mine to cover it. I closed my eyes and pressed our hands a little harder so I could feel the strength my lover held within him. His thumb stroking just under my eyes made me look up at his face. The reaper's expression was soft, and I gave him a warm smile.

Adrian’s eyes became half lidded and a devilish smirk spread over his face. I was suddenly reminded that both of us were sitting naked on the bed. His face slowly moved closer to mine, and I found myself leaning away to help keep the distance between us. The arm looped around my back prevented me from moving too far, and soon I was trapped. The rogue’s voice dropped an octave as he whispered in my ear.

“You just leave everything to me, lovely. All you have to do is lay back and relax.” The former mortician moved to lay me underneath him as he purred those words in my ear. I couldn't help but look at the mad man as if he lost his mind. I pressed my hands to his chest to push him away, but the lean form above me didn't budge at all.

“You want to do this now?!” I tried to wiggle out from under the reaper, but the man had settled his weight, pinning me to the bed. I attempted to dissuade the him, but Adrian gathered my wrists in one hand to pin them above my head. “Shouldn't we fix this pseudo bond first?! I don't want to be tethered to that lunatic for longer then I have to!” He let out a dark chuckle as his lips brushed alongside my jaw.

“Angel,” the silver haired man’s whisper made me shudder. “What do you think I'm doing? I would never allow anyone other then myself a bond with my mate.” He loomed over me, making me feel caged but safe. The reaper seemed to find great amusement once I finally figured out what he was talking about. I sputtered a bit as I tried to gather my words.

“You cannot be…be…serious! That's how…!” My lover was distracting me with sweet, passionate kisses and touches that were slowly arousing my lust. My cheeks flushed as I twisted between the sheets. “Ad-Adrian!” What started out as a protest morphed into a plea for more. Lips curled into a smirk on my shoulder, and Adrian slows his caresses before he pulls back.

“Yes, kitten? Do you want something?” The hand not holding my wrists came up from my waist to lightly scratch over my ribs making me arch into the man over me. “As much as I would love to, I can't read you mind, love. You'll have to speak up!~” His playful, giggling tone rang in my ears, and a frustrated whine built in my throat. I pulled against his grip on my hands, but I could move them at all.

“You-!” I was cut off with a moan as my lover started to leave a trail of marks around my neck. I was panting at the sensation of his teeth and tongue, and it took more effort then I wanted to admit to get enough air so I could speak. I was beginning to forget why I was protesting this. “Manic! I'm not...Ahhhh!....not finished talking! Ohhhh! I-I want…want you to stop!” Despite my words, I writhed closer to his touch. I bit my lip to keep myself quite, but the reaper just rose up to tut at me.

“Now, now, love. There's no need for fibs!~” His free hand just barely ran over the skin under my navel, and I jumped under his ministrations. After doing this a few more times just to see me squirm, that evil hand firmly rested on my right hip. The mad man’s green eyes narrowed as he tilted his head in thought.

Adrian bowed his body just enough so that his silver fringe hid his face. A shiver of unease ran up my spine as his shoulders shook, and my eyes widened when cackles erupted from the rogue reaper. He lifted his head to leer at me, and the unholy gleam that had entered his eyes made me press my body further in the mattress as a sadistic smile grew on his face.

In what felt like a blink of an eye, my lover had grabbed his sash and tied my hands through one of the decorative slots in the headboard of the bed. I looked at my wrists in shock before slowly turning back to the former mortician, and I realized that there would be no talking him out of this. His eyes glowed as he admired the arrangement he had me in for his pleasure. 

He gracefully shifted his position over me so that he was stretched out on top of me. Adrian curled his hands under my thighs, and he moved my legs apart. I felt my cheeks heat as he used his hands to press my legs against the sides of his waist. Those black clawed hands then sensually traveled up my flanks and sides. I shivered as an aborted moan tried to pass my lips.

The skin of his inner arms brushed against the sides of my breasts as he settled his weight on his elbows. The silvered haired man crossed his finger together to form a bridge over my chest, and he rested his chin on his hands. I twitched as that heavy mane brushed along body from my calves to the bottom of my ribs.

I waited for the reaper to say or do something, but he just continued to look at me through his bangs with a smug smirk on his face. The longer my lover remained where he was, the more irritated I got with him. I tugged at the charcoal sash keeping my hands above my head, and was rewarded with snickers.

The silver haired man had me trapped, and I could barely move. No matter how hard I pulled, twisted, or bucked, there was no give to the sash or moving the solid weight of my tiger off of me. By this point, I was looking forward to what he was doing, and now he just suddenly stopped?!

“If you're set on doing this, then get on with it!” I glared at the man. Adrian hummed as his smirk grew. He shook his head, and I couldn't help the shiver that came from the feeling of those silver locks sliding over my skin. My jaw dropped a bit in disbelief, and I sounded like a child when I demanded, “Why not?!”

I felt more then heard the chuckle he let out. He moved to his left hand cupped his chin as he tapped my lips with his right index finger to prevent me from speaking anymore. I glared harder at my tiger and debated on biting his finger the next time it came close enough. He must've seen the intention on my face because his fingers flitted over to play with my pulse.

“You've have forgotten, haven't you?” I started at the slight disappointment in his words, but the mad man cupped my chin and press his thumb over my lips. All thoughts about biting him flew out the window once I saw the heat in the former mortician’s eyes. I swallowed hard at his expression.

“I must admit, kitten, that while it angers me to no end that someone has the audacity to mark what is MINE, there is something else that also angers me just as bad. Something that needs to be addressed, and I cannot wait any longer.” I blinked a couple of times as butterflies began to flutter in my belly. He narrowed his eyes in thought all of a sudden, as if he was trying to calm himself down a bit.

Almost all hints of playfulness vanished, and a stern look came over Adrian's features. I felt fingernails scratch down the side of my jaw, and I winced a little at the stronger then normal sensation. I looked up at the rogue in confusion as he stared down at me with an impassive gaze. I flexed my fingers in the loose fists I had my hands curled into to stave off the urge to pull his sharp nails away.

Adrian's hand left my chin, and his index finger traced one of the veins in my left arm. I twitched whenever he would glide over a ticklish or sensitive spot, and I bit my lip to keep from making too much noise. The expression he had was one of a hunter, and I didn't want to bring anymore attention to myself despite the fact that I was all he was looking at for the moment.

The finger ran up further over my arm towards the bend of my elbow. The limb jerked at the hardly felt touch as soon as he got to the crease. I was watching him as his eyes slowly flickered from my face to the pattern he was tracing over my skin. After he finished tormenting that patch of flesh, the manic traced another pattern back down to my shoulder. 

As he got closer to my chest, my heart started to pound against my ribs harder and harder. Goosebumps broke out over me when he got to my collarbones, and I shifted in response to the ticklish feeling when the reaper switched to run the backs of his nails over me. A small mew came out when he toyed with the dip between my collarbones, and I caught a brief smug look in chartreuse eyes.

The hand returned to my chin, and his grip tightened enough to prevent me from interrupting my lover. I could feel vibrations in his chest as rumbling became known. He shifted closer to me, and his normal velvety voice became just a bit harsher as his growl mixed in with his speech.

“What makes me just as angry is my angel questioning her worth. I don't take kindly to anyone questioning anything about my mate.” I froze as soon as I remembered that conversation. The same rush of nervous excitement ran throughout my body, and I tried unsuccessfully to hide the shiver that came with the rush. The reaper smirked at my reaction. 

“Ahh. You do remember. That pleases me greatly, although I would still continue even if you had forgotten. An error of this magnitude must be dealt with accordingly. So here's what we are going to do…” He moved closer and nipped at my lips before soothing the stings with his tongue. I gasped at the feeling, and he caught my lower lip between his teeth.

He tugged on it for a moment then the mad man crushed our mouths together. Our teeth clacked together, and the taste of copper bloomed in my mouth. The agile tongue of my lover was quick to chase the taste of blood from the small split in my lip. I moaned into his mouth as he licked all around my mouth to get every drip of the crimson fluid. My eyes slid shut when his hand slid back to hold my head in place.

The kiss was long and extremely through. Adrian had completely dominated the kiss, but while that was usual, it wasn't normally this intense. The reaper hardly let me participate at all so I just submitted under his onslaught. A deep purr was my reward as the kiss softened. My eyes slid shut, and I mewed out when he lightly ran the tip of his tongue over my palette.

The silver haired man pulled just far enough away so I could feel his tongue when he licked his lips. I opened my eyes into slits as I tried to get my breathing back under control. The small cut in my lip stung when I lick my own lips to chase the last bit of flavor from my lover. I felt his tongue lick my lips one more time, then he pulled back again.

“You are going to stay just like this, under my mercy or lack there of. No need to fret though, love. I would never do anything that would cause you lasting harm, but there isn't any issue with a little bit of pain. It wouldn't be punishment if there wasn't some repercussions, right?” He pulled back so I could see his sharp teeth bared in a feral smile. I shivered as the feeling of becoming prey came to the forefront of my mind. The gleam in his eyes grew brighter as he watched me for a moment, then he leaned to hiss in my ear.

“You can move and make as much noise as you please as long as it does not interfere with what I'm doing. In fact, I want you to completely give yourself over to me. I want to know how well you enjoy this. I am going to take you apart piece by piece. I will show you just what you mean to me, and I will reclaim you. By the time I'm through, there will be no doubt in your mind to whom you belong to, and what you mean to me.” I trembled in anticipation.

I knew that this was going to be a long night, and I hoped that by the time Adrian was done I would still be able to move. I swallowed again as my trembling increased.


End file.
